Google DeepMind Scientists Exploring Exit: Allegedly in Discussions to Launch Independent AI Startup.

Reportedly, two scientists from Google DeepMind, Alphabet’s AI division, are engaged in discussions with investors to establish an AI startup in Paris, as per insiders familiar with the matter. The duo, Laurent Sifre and Karl Tuyls, both DeepMind scientists, is said to be exploring the formation of a company tentatively named Holistic.

Talks have included potential investors, with discussions hinting at a substantial financing round exceeding EUR 200 million (approximately Rs. 1,800 crore), an impressive amount even within the dynamic field of AI. The startup’s focus is speculated to be on developing a novel AI model.

Despite multiple requests for comments, neither Sifre nor Tuyls responded. DeepMind declined to comment on the reported startup plans. According to sources, the two scientists have given notice to depart from DeepMind, marking a significant shift in their professional trajectory.

Laurent Sifre is notably recognized as a co-author of the groundbreaking 2016 DeepMind research on Go, where a computer system surpassed masters in the ancient game, sparking global interest in AI. Meanwhile, Karl Tuyls has contributed to research in game theory and multi-agent reinforcement learning, exploring interactions between autonomous entities, often within the realm of video games.

Both Sifre and Tuyls are widely considered leaders in their field, and the unusually large financing round being discussed is further evidence of strong investor interest in the technology. That’s particularly true in France, where venture capitalists and business tycoons have poured funds into startups emerging from Parisian universities and the AI hubs of Silicon Valley firms.

Mistral AI, an OpenAI rival whose chief executive officer also worked for DeepMind, formed in early 2023 and had raised two sizable rounds by the year’s end to earn a valuation around $2 billion (roughly Rs. 16,600). Kyutai, a nonprofit AI research lab, was formed in November with EUR 300 (roughly Rs. 2,700 crore) million in initial funding.

The new French startup under discussion is different from Holistic AI, an enterprise software business based in London.