Shazeer, who previously worked at Google and later co-founded Character.AI, is returning to the tech giant along with his colleague Daniel De Freitas. The transition is part of a broader effort by Google to enhance its AI research and development.Shazeer's return to Google was highly anticipated and involved a significant financial commitment. Reports indicate that Google paid billions to bring Shazeer and other key employees from Character.AI into its DeepMind division. This move also included a licensing agreement with Character.AI, underscoring Google's investment in advancing AI technology.Gemini, developed by Google's AI division DeepMind, is a series of large language models that power various applications, including the Gemini chatbot, Google Search, and Pixel smartphones.

Shazeer will join Jeff Dean and Oriol Vinyals as co-leads on the Gemini project. In a memo, Shazeer expressed his excitement about joining the team, highlighting the potential of Gemini as a game-changing technology. Google's decision to rehire Shazeer reflects a broader trend among tech giants like Amazon and Microsoft, who are also actively acquiring top AI talent. Despite considering an investment in Character.AI, Google opted to bring Shazeer back in-house.

This strategic move aims to integrate his expertise directly into Google's AI initiatives.Shazeer's initial tenure at Google began in 2000, and he co-authored a 2017 research paper that significantly contributed to the current AI boom. Character.AI, which he co-founded in 2021, has raised $193 million and was valued at $1 billion last year. The company will continue to grow and focus on personalised AI products, thanks to the increased funding from Google.The collaboration between Shazeer and Google's DeepMind team promises exciting advancements in AI, with potential impacts on a wide range of Google products and services.