The talks with Google are ongoing and the terms of the deal could change. This investment is part of a larger trend of big tech cloud services providers striking deals with AI companies. However, these investments are under scrutiny by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission for potential anti-competitive behaviors.
Key takeaways:
- Google is reportedly in talks to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in AI chatbot startup Character.AI, according to sources.
- Character.AI, founded by former Google employees, allows users to chat with virtual versions of celebrities or anime characters, and create their own chatbots and AI assistants.
- The startup is also in talks to raise equity funding from venture capital investors, potentially valuing the company at over $5 billion.
- Google's potential investment in Character.AI is part of a larger trend of big tech cloud services providers striking deals with AI companies, which is currently under scrutiny by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission for potential anti-competitive behaviors.