There is no There are even wilder times than the present to build a company around artificial intelligence. The server bills are astronomical, for one thing. Plus, the talent market is hot, and you’ll end up paying a fortune for good people. Even if you get funded, hire staff, launch the product, and make progress in a crowded field, the specter of Big Tech looms over you. The hyper-carnivorous raptors of Silicon Valley—Google, Apple, Amazon, and Meta—will turn their steely eyes on the fat prey of your best employees and intellectual property.
But they can’t just buy you. Not anymore. Direct takeovers could attract the attention of regulators in the U.S. and Europe, where governments are ramping up their antitrust efforts. Instead of buying you out, a big tech company licenses your technology and brings your top talent into its offices to work with its employees. This maneuver – not a takeover, but more of an acquisition with some partnerships – is something we’ve seen a few times in recent months. And we can expect more of it.
This week we welcome WIRED Editor in Chief Paresh Dave back on the show to discuss the current trend of partnerships between small AI companies and the tech giants. We also talk about how regulators are cracking down on Google in particular.
Show notes
Read about a US court ruling that found Google used monopolistic practices to increase the dominance of its search engine. Read more about character AI, meta, and customizable chatbots. Read all of WIRED’s antitrust coverage.
recommendations
Paresh recommends games on Netflix, like Triviaverse. Mike recommends the new documentary Mountain Queen: The Peaks of Lhakpa Sherpawhich is also available on Netflix. Lauren recommends “Inside the Secret Negotiations to Free Evan Gershkovich” by The Wall Street Journal.
Find Paresh Dave on social media @peard33. Lauren Goode is @LaurenGoode. Michael Calore is @snackfight. Bling the main hotline at @GadgetLab. The show is hosted by Boone Ashworth (@Subscribe to). Our theme music is by Solar Keys.
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