Google's Salary Strategy for DeepMind Employees Not Working Sparks Controversy About Efficiency and Ethics in AI Technology.
In the increasingly fierce AI talent war, Google DeepMind is adopting a notable tactic: fully paying AI specialists who leave to "rest" instead of joining competitors. This information was just revealed by Business Insider, raising many questions about sustainability and ethics in tech giants' talent retention strategies.
The "Brain" War in the AI Era
According to Business Insider's investigation, DeepMind – Google's AI research division – has applied extremely strict non-compete clauses to many employees in the United Kingdom. These agreements prohibit employees from working for competitors within a year after leaving the company, while Google continues to pay their salary during that period.
This effectively means Google is willing to spend millions of dollars to "neutralize" top AI researchers, preventing them from contributing expertise to competitors like OpenAI or Microsoft. In the context of a rapidly evolving AI race, this strategy is seen as a measure to protect competitive advantage, though many believe it is unsustainable and unethical.
Dear @GoogDeepMind ers, First, congrats on the new impressive models.
— Nando de Freitas (@NandoDF) March 26, 2025
Every week one of you reaches out to me in despair to ask me how to escape your notice periods and noncompetes. Also asking me for a job because your manager has explained this is the way to get promoted, but…
A senior Microsoft employee publicly addressed this issue on X (Twitter) last month, stating that many DeepMind employees have contacted him in "desperation" because they cannot escape these constraints. This suggests Google's "retirement salary without work" strategy is creating negative consequences for both the industry and the researchers themselves.
When contacted by TechCrunch, Google declined to comment on the issue. However, in response to Business Insider, the company affirmed that they only apply non-compete clauses "selectively".
Many experts believe this strategy could harm the entire industry by limiting talent circulation and innovation. While researchers are paid to "sit idle", they risk falling behind in a rapidly developing field like AI, and the industry loses their potential contributions.
The AI talent war is expected to remain tense as large tech companies continuously seek competitive advantages in a field considered key to the future. However, the question remains whether strategies like Google's are truly effective and sustainable in the long term, or just temporary solutions in an endless race.
