Google Acquires Artificial Intelligence Startup DeepMind

Google Inc said on Sunday it has made one of its largest European acquisitions to date with a deal to acquire privately held artificial intelligence company DeepMind Technologies Ltd, the Guardian reported.

DeepMind is a London-based artificial intelligence firm which specializes in machine learning, advanced algorithms and systems neuroscience.

Aiming to develop computers that think like humans, it was purchased for a reported $400 million. According to the Guardian, DeepMind develops technologies for e-commerce and games, and has demonstrated computer systems capable of playing computer games.

Demis Hassabis, former child chess prodigy and neuroscientist, was responsible for founding the two-year-old artificial intelligence startup alongside Shane Legg and Mustafa Suleyman.

Google's chief executive Larry Page initiated the deal as Google and other major artificial intelligence companies were reportedly competing with DeepMind for talent. According to Forbes, Facebook reportedly failed to acquire DeepMind in December 2012.

To protect the technology from any abuse, an artificial intelligence ethics board was established by Google as part of the acquisition deal, according to sources talking to The Information.

Google confirmed the purchase but declined to clarify specifics of the acquisition, the Guardian reported.

Nest, learning thermostat and smart fire alarm company, was recently included in a long line of artificial intelligence acquisitions from Google as well.

Google's Eric Schmidt described it as "an important bet" which will lead to products that are "infinitely more intelligent".

"DeepMind was generally interested in reinforcement learning, and in deep learning, which is very useful in mining so called 'big data', something Google has a lot of and is interested in processing," said Murray Shanahan a professor of Cognitive Robotics at Imperial College London.

In 2013, a string of robotic firms was acquired by Google. Boston Dynamics, a company holding contracts with the U.S. military, was the most high-profile purchase in December.

"Google's robotics and artificial intelligence efforts were put under the leadership of the father of Android, Andy Rubin, in December combining seven quietly acquired technology companies to foster a self-described 'moonshot' robotics vision," according to the Guardian.