Table of Contents
There is no We’re living in a crazier time than we are now to build a company around AI. Server bills are astronomical, for example. Plus, the talent market is red-hot, and you’ll end up paying through the nose for good people. Even if you get funding, hire people, get the product off the ground, and start making inroads in a crowded field, you’ll always be surrounded by the specter of Big Tech. The hypercarnivorous raptors of Silicon Valley—Google, Apple, Amazon, and Meta—will fix their steely eyes on the plump prey of your best employees and intellectual property.
But they can’t just buy you. Not anymore; outright acquisitions could attract the attention of regulators in the U.S. and Europe, where governments are stepping up their antitrust efforts. Now, instead of gobbling you up, a big tech company will license your technology and bring your top talent into its offices to collaborate with its employees. This move — which isn’t an acquisition, but rather an acquisition with some partnerships thrown in — is something we’ve seen a few times in recent months. And we can expect more.
This week, we welcome back WIRED senior writer Paresh Dave to the show to talk about the current trend of partnerships between small AI companies and tech giants. We also talk about how regulators are cracking down on Google in particular.
Show notes
Read about the US court ruling that found Google engaged in antitrust 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 playing games on Netflix, such as TriviaverseMike recommends the new documentary Queen of the Mountain: The Peaks of Lhakpa Sherpawhich is also on Netflix. Lauren recommends “Inside the secret negotiations to free Evan Gershkovich” of The Wall Street Journal.
You can find Paresh Dave on social media @pearl33Lauren Goode is on @Lauren Goode. Michael Calore is at @snack fight. Bling the main hotline at @Device LabThe show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@Boone Ashworth). Our theme music is from Solar keys.
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