- Since 2018, Apple has poached 36 Google employees with AI expertise, the Financial Times reported.
- This is part of a broader talent war among Big Tech companies as they seek to boost their AI capabilities.
- The battle could get even more intense if Microsoft opens an AI hub at Google DeepMind's headquarters in London.
Since 2018, Apple has persuaded at least 36 Google employees with expertise in AI to take on new ventures, according to an analysis of LinkedIn profiles by the Financial Times.
Apple's research paper on multimodal large-scale language models published last month lists six authors who are former Google staffers hired in the past two years, the report said.
According to Business Insider's research, nine of the 31 authors listed in the research paper listed Google as their last employer on their LinkedIn profiles, and two authors were from Microsoft.
The discovery comes amid a broader AI talent war as Big Tech companies seek to enhance their capabilities.
Google successfully lured former OpenAI head of developer Logan Kilpatrick to join the company this month.
One AI employee previously told BI that he received a call from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman convincing him to join the company behind ChatGPT. he accepted the offer.
Even Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has tried to recruit Google's AI researchers by sending them personal emails, The Information reported last month.
Some of Microsoft's senior leaders have also left to join other companies in AI-focused roles, Fortune recently reported. Among them is Gurdeep Singh Paul, a former executive who was appointed president of AI at software management company Qualtrics earlier this month.
The battle for AI expertise could get even more intense after Microsoft recently revealed plans to build an AI hub at Google Deep Mind's headquarters in London. The company aims to hire “excellent human resources” as early as possible.
Big tech companies aren't the only ones competing for AI talent. Even startups are looking to secure expertise to help them expand.
Mustafa Suleiman, the new CEO of Microsoft AI, told the FT last month: At the big end, everyone will be competing head-to-head, and I think it's a time of intense competition to work in the technology industry. ”
Apple did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment outside of normal business hours.
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