DeepMind—Google DeepMind enforces up to 12-month non-compete agreements on departing AI researchers
Google DeepMind routinely enforces non-compete clauses extending up to 12 months on departing employees, paired with continued salary payments effectively placing staff on 'paid garden leave.' While financially compensated, former employees have described the restrictions as an 'abuse of power,' with some considering relocating from the UK to California to avoid the contractual limitations. The practice has drawn criticism for limiting worker mobility in the competitive AI field.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worker Rights | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.572 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (medium ×1) × confidence (0.57)
Evidence (1 signal)
Business Insider reported DeepMind employees receive up to a year's salary while barred from rival firms
Former Google DeepMind employees revealed they received up to a year's salary while contractually barred from joining rival AI companies. Some former employees described the requirement as an 'abuse of power,' with colleagues considering relocating from the UK to California to avoid contractual restrictions.