OpenAI, the developer of the AI chatbot ChatGPT, quietly hired at least five Google AI researchers in the months leading up to its release, according to people familiar with the matter. They were instrumental in helping to improve ChatGPT and support its launch in November 2022.
Google has two of the world’s most prominent AI research teams, but OpenAI has in short order launched ChatGPT, a global sensation in recent months that has attracted tens of millions of users and which Google leaders even consider a potential threat to their search engine. practitioners and investors in the AI industry are wondering how a startup just seven years old can beat Google. .
As it turns out, OpenAI has a secret weapon: recruiting departing Google AI researchers. OpenAI is always recruiting Google employees who work on AI research, according to people familiar with the matter. In recent months, the company has hired more than a dozen departing Google employees. Of those, at least five helped OpenAI launch ChatGPT by the end of last year.
In the acknowledgements section of OpenAI’s blog post announcing the launch of ChatGPT, the company mentions the names of these researchers, including Barret Zoph, Liam Fedus, Luke Metz, Jacob Menick and Raphael Gontijo Lopez. (Rapha Gontijo Lopes).
However, at the time of writing, only Zoff and Metz have updated their profiles on the professional social networking site LinkedIn to indicate that they are indeed participating in OpenAI’s chatbot program. ChatGPT proved to be a hit with users, accumulating more than 1 million users in just seven days of its launch. The popularity of ChatGPT reportedly prompted Google management to issue a “Code Red” warning in December.
Two departing employees of Google Brain, Alphabet’s AI division, said that some employees felt Google’s corporate culture had become lethargic. Employees also cited layers of red tape and an overly cautious approach to new product initiatives, which prompted many to leave for opportunities at other companies.
Google appears to be in a tight race with Microsoft when it comes to bringing new products to market. Microsoft is a major investor in OpenAI. Both tech giants have announced plans to integrate Large Language Models (LLMs) into Bing and Google Search, respectively. Bing has already opened up the new technology to some users, while Google announced last week that its AI search will be open to “trusted testers” before a broader rollout.
