'London Rule' that explains why AI researchers are leaving Google for Anthropic & OpenAI

Four top AI researchers from Google DeepMind's London lab have recently defected to competitors Anthropic and OpenAI, and it's not about the money. Instead, the UK's stricter non-compete laws compared to California are the driving force. These rules prevent researchers from immediately joining new firms, affecting talent mobility. This shift signals a potential long-term drain of talent from Google's London team to rivals, as compute resources and equity perks move elsewhere.