Google completes $1.5 billion talent acquisition of AI startup Mechanize

Google has finalized a $1.5 billion-plus talent acquisition of the AI startup Mechanize, according to public postings. The deal includes Mechanize's co-founder and former CEO, Tamay Besiroglu, who now works as a research scientist at Google's DeepMind division. Over a dozen other former Mechanize employees have joined Google, primarily working on its 'midtraining' initiatives for chatbots. The final terms of the deal were not disclosed. Mechanize's former chief of staff, Guive Assadi, now identifies as the company's CEO on LinkedIn. Google has been actively acquiring talent to bolster its AI capabilities, including the recent acquisition of AI coding startup Windsurf's team. Mechanize, which previously raised $9.1 million at a $500 million valuation, specializes in improving AI models' coding abilities, a challenge Google has faced. The deal comes as Google continues to compete in the AI race, seeking to enhance its models amid industry challenges.