Google shocked the tech world in 2024 when it spent a massive $2.7 billion on a licensing deal with Character.AI just to bring back AI leader Noam Shazeer and his team. Shazeer, the brilliant mind who co-authored the groundbreaking “Attention Is All You Need” paper that invented Transformers, the foundation of modern AI like ChatGPT and Gemini, returned to co-lead Google’s flagship Gemini project. Yet, barely a year later in 2025, his outspoken personal views on gender identity ignited fierce internal debates, leading moderators to delete his posts and sparking a broader conversation about free speech in Big Tech.
Elon Musk quickly jumps in to defend him, posting “Noam is right” on X, amplifying the controversy amid Google’s push for inclusive culture.
Why AI Leader Noam Shazeer Stands as a True AI Leader
AI Leader Noam Shazeer shapes the AI revolution from the start:
- AI leader Noam Shazeer Joins Google in 2000 as one of its earliest engineers and helped build core search features.
- Co-authors the 2017 “Attention Is All You Need” paper, introduces the Transformer architecture that powers every major LLM today.
- Develops advanced chatbots like Meena at Google: leaves in 2021 after the company refuses to release it over safety concerns.
- Co-founds Character.AI in 2021: creates a viral platform where users chat with AI versions of celebrities and fictional characters.
- Returns to Google in 2024 via the $2.7 billion deal: licenses Character.AI tech and rejoins with co-founder Daniel De Freitas to accelerate Gemini development.
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The controversy erupts when Shazeer posts on an internal forum discussing support for transgender and non-binary colleagues. He writes: “I do not believe that humans have an attribute called gender… I do not believe that G-d puts people in the wrong bodies. I do not believe that it is okay to sterilise children.” Colleagues push back strongly, and Google moderators remove his comments and restrict his access, highlighting tensions between hiring top genius and enforcing workplace policies.
As Google races to dominate AI, this saga shows how companies pay billions for rare talent like AI leader Noam Shazeer, yet struggle when personal beliefs clash with corporate culture. With Musk’s backing, the debate rages on about innovation versus ideology in Silicon Valley.
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