The antitrust probe into Google's actions signals heightened regulatory attention on big tech's approach to acquiring AI talent and technology.

Google is being investigated after hiring the founders of Character.AI for their AI chatbot technology. This inquiry evaluates how the non-exclusive technology license impacts industry competition. There are no public comments from Character.AI's co-founders yet.

Key figures involved are Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas, both former Google engineers. A Google spokesperson confirmed cooperation with regulators but stressed that Character.AI remains independently owned and not acquired by Google.

"We're always happy to answer any questions from regulators. We're excited that talent from Character.AI joined the company but we have no ownership stake and they remain a separate company." — Peter Schottenfels, Spokesperson, Google (Alphabet Inc.)

Financially, Google saw a 2.4% stock increase, suggesting investor confidence despite the probe. This hiring deal has not affected any cryptocurrency markets or protocols as no linked digital assets have been mentioned.

Historically, such "acqui-hire" deals like Amazon's and Microsoft's similarly sought tech talent. These acts raise concerns about firms stifling innovation through indirect talent acquisition methods instead of full-fledged buyouts.

Potential outcomes of this probe may influence how tech giants maneuver future talent acquisition deals. Regulatory shifts could push for clearer guidelines around acquisitions involving tech talent and intellectual property.