Google faces $1.67 billion lawsuit over alleged AI patent infringement

Google faces a federal jury in Boston over allegations made by Singular Computing, a company founded by computer scientist Joseph Bates. Namely, Singular Computing is suing Google for allegedly violating AI processor patents, seeking $1.67 billion in damages. Bates contends that Google used his pivotal innovations, presented during joint meetings from 2010 to 2014, as crucial for AI advancement. Singular asserts that Google implemented Bates’ patented technology, notably in their Tensor Processing Units used to power AI functionalities across Google services. Rather than licensing the technology, Google allegedly incorporated it into their AI-supporting chips called Tensor Processing Units.

Singular’s legal representative stressed the importance of respecting intellectual property and accused Google of misappropriating Bates’ concepts. Conversely, Google’s defense refutes direct interaction between their chip designers and Bates, claiming independent chip development and highlighting flaws in Bates’ technology. Initially seeking up to $7 billion, Singular has now reduced its claim to $1.67 billion.

Why does it matter?

The disagreement extends beyond monetary compensation, as Google’s AI advancements, such as speech recognition and ad targeting, are tied to the disputed technology. Meanwhile, a separate case challenging Singular’s patents in a US appeals court further complicates this ongoing legal clash.