We don't know the exact price tag and we don't even know precisely why — but Google is buying an artificial intelligence company called DeepMind.
It's a UK-based startup that says it "combine[s] the best techniques from machine learning and systems neuroscience to build general-purpose learning algorithms."
Huh?? Details are thin, but think — deep learning, where calculations allow for machine learning in things like gaming and e-commerce.
You won't see much about the acquisition on American TV news, but European outlets like the BBC are covering it as Google's biggest acquisition of a European company.
Sky News adds it's another sign of Google's commitment to artificial intelligence, as we've seen in its self-driving cars and robots.
And if Re/code's report is true — it's quite the commitment — with a price tag of $400 million.
We should note no one has been able to get confirmation from Google on that number. In any case, what's more AI talent for the search giant?
About a year ago, Google hired a new director of engineering, who said he was interested in a search engine that was so smart, it would know you better than you know yourself.
Which kinda creeps us out — but you get the idea of where this could be headed. Google's been busy — according to Forbes this is the company's fourth acquisition this month alone.
DeepMind's founder is neuroscientist Demis Hassabis, who was also a former teen chess prodigy. (Via YouTube /FHIOxford)
Google hasn't confirmed this tidbit either, but according to Re/code, Google CEO Larry Page led negotiations in the DeepMind acquisition.
