Ex-Google Employees Launch AI Startup for Celebrity Talks, Google to Invest Millions

Artificial intelligence has been the talk of the tech world since last year, and we have seen many startups, mid-sized companies, and tech giants invest in the area. Companies across all sectors, from Microsoft, Google, and Amazon to Bain and Co, show increased interest in AI. According to the latest reports, Google plans to invest millions of dollars in another artificial intelligence company, which two former Google employees developed.

Google to invest in AI startup

A Reuters report claims that Google could invest "hundreds of millions of dollars" in Character.AI, an AI chatbot startup developed by two former Google employees, Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas. According to the report, Google is already partnered with the company, and the upcoming investment could strengthen this partnership. More details about the investment are being kept secret, and we will learn more as time passes.

Speaking of Character.AI, the chatbot allows people to talk to virtual versions of celebrities and anime characters. Users can also create their chatbots and AI assistants. The chatbot is free for everyone, but there is a premium version for users who want to skip the virtual queue to access a chatbot.

According to data from Similarweb, the company's AI chatbots have attracted users between 18 and 24, contributing around 60 per cent of its website traffic. These demographics are helping the company position itself as a pioneer in more fun, personal AI companions compared to other AI chatbots from OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Bard.