Uber hires Google's former head of search, stoking a rivalry

The hiring of Amit Singhal, who left Google last year, is a coup for Uber

Uber and Google have long been bitter rivals in the race to build the autonomous vehicles that appear integral to the future of transportation. Soon, Uber will have a bit of help in that effort from a man who has played a key role in Google’s history.

Amit Singhal, a 15-year Google veteran and a former senior vice-president for search at the company, said on Friday that he planned to join Uber as senior vice president for engineering. At Uber, he will work to build out the software and infrastructure that are the foundation of the company’s ride-hailing services.

In his new