AI Wars: Google is giving DeepMind staff year-long paid break to stop them from joining rivals

As the artificial intelligence race heats up, Demis Hassabis-led Google DeepMind is willing to pay its employees a year’s paid leave rather than let them work for a competitor in the UK.

According to a report by Business Insider, Google DeepMind staff in the UK are subject to noncompete agreements that prevent them from working for a competitor for up to 12 months after they stop working at the company. DeepMind has also put some of these employees on extended garden leaves, meaning the company still pays them during the non-compete period.