Is Google building SKYNET? Ad kingpin buys AI firm DeepMind
First robots, then military hardware - now it's BRAINS like Terminator mastermind
Google has agreed to acquire London-based artificial intelligence firm DeepMind Technologies, adding to its growing stable of robot companies.
The acquisition was reported yesterday by tech news site Re/code, which claimed that the price tag for the firm was $400m (£241m). Google was not commenting on the deal.
According to DeepMind's website, the company is involved in "cutting edge" AI. The firm uses machine learning and systems neuroscience to build learning algorithms that have been used in simulations, ecommerce and games, the site said.
Google has been expanding into robotics and artificial intelligence for a while now. Last month, the Chocolate Factory snapped up military robotics firm Boston Dynamics, its eighth robot-related acquisition in 2013. The robot division is being headed up by Andy Rubin, who used to run the Android business.
Google has also launched the Quantum Artificial Intelligence Lab in a partnership with NASA and a number of universities. The goal of the lab is to assess the potential of quantum computers and quantum algorithms. ®
