Alphabet spin-out Waymo, Google’s self-driving car project, has snapped up British artificial intelligence (AI) firm, Latent Logic.

A spin-out of Oxford University, Latent Logic specialises in “imitation learning”, a method that is used to teach machines how to act using examples of human’s performing actions.

Founded in 2017 by Oxford academics Shimon Whiteson and João Messias, the company creates highly-realistic simulations of roads and cars that can used to help train AI for self-driving cars.

Waymo wants to utilise Latent Logic’s expertise to help train its AI drivers to handle complex road behaviours such as a car cutting off another vehicle at a roundabout, or a cyclist skidding in the rain.

“The team’s expertise in reinforcement learning and imitation learning can help further accelerate Waymo’s progress in areas from simulation to behaviour prediction and planning,” the company said in a statement.

Waymo’s decision to acquire the Oxford company has given the firm its first foothold in the UK and its first European engineering hub. It is likely this is just the first-step for the Alphabet business, which said it would continue to look for opportunities to expand its team in the UK and Europe.

Drago Anguelov, Waymo’s principal scientist and head of research, said: “We see an exciting opportunity in Europe, not only in continuing to build our partnerships with major automakers but also in benefitting from the world-class technology and engineering capabilities in Oxford and beyond.”

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Waymo is not sharing the details of the deal, however, it appears that Whiteson, Messia, Latent Logic CEO Kirsty Lloyd-Jukes and key members of the engineering and technical team will join Waymo. Latent Logic will remain in Oxford.

“By joining Waymo, we are taking a big leap towards realizing our ambition of safe, self-driving vehicles,” said Latent Logic co-founder and chief scientist Shimon Whiteson.

“In just two years, we have made significant progress in using imitation learning to simulate real human behaviors on the road. I’m excited by what we can now achieve in combining this expertise with the talent, resources and progress Waymo have already made in self-driving technology.”