Google is reportedly paying some of its artificial intelligence workers in the UK to stay off the job for up to a year, all in an effort to stop them from joining competing companies.Â
This strategy is said to be part of a noncompete agreement used by DeepMind, the tech giant’s AI arm based in London.
The deal means certain employees are kept on the payroll while being legally prevented from taking up jobs with rival firms such as OpenAI or Microsoft.
 According to a report from Business Insider, these employees are not allowed to work for competitors during this break, which can feel like a long forced vacation.
While they continue to receive their salaries, many of them are said to be unhappy with being kept away from the fast-moving developments in AI.
In the United States, most noncompete agreements have already been banned by the Federal Trade Commission.
However, this rule does not apply to DeepMind’s UK office, where the reported agreements are still active.
Recently, a Microsoft executive shared on social media that some DeepMind workers have been reaching out, frustrated by the difficulty of getting around the agreements and the long wait time before they can move to another company.
When asked about this situation, Google did not give a response to TechCrunch.
 However, the company reportedly told Business Insider that the use of noncompetes is done on a case-by-case basis.
The AI industry has become highly competitive, and companies are trying different methods to keep their best minds.
For Google, keeping top talent from walking out the door—even if it means paying them to stay put—appears to be one of those methods.
