Group 1 - The extreme demand for top AI talent has led to significant poaching within the AI industry, with Meta recently hiring AI expert Pang Ruoming from Apple for over $200 million, setting a new record for executive transfers [1][2] - Google acquired the founders and core team of Character.ai for $2.7 billion, which included a non-exclusive license for their AI model, strategically weakening a potential competitor [8][10][11] - Character.ai, despite losing its founders, managed to achieve over $100 million in annual revenue under the leadership of its remaining employees, who took over the company [6][18][20] Group 2 - Following the acquisition of its founders, Character.ai's remaining team, about 70 employees, appointed a temporary CEO and shifted focus to consumer products, leading to significant growth in user engagement [19][20] - The company is projected to reach an annual revenue of $36 million by the end of 2025, driven by a subscription model charging users $9.99 per month [20][21] - Character.ai faces ongoing challenges, including high operational costs, regulatory scrutiny, and intense competition from other tech giants and startups in the AI space [25][26][27] Group 3 - The acquisition of Character.ai's founders by Google reflects a broader trend in the AI industry where major companies are systematically acquiring promising startups and their talent to mitigate competition [16][17] - The financial backing from Google, including a significant payment for the non-exclusive license, has provided Character.ai with a buffer to continue operations and explore future growth [22][23] - Character.ai is currently considering options for either selling the company or raising additional funds, with discussions ongoing for a potential valuation exceeding $1 billion [28][29]