In a recent interview with Wired, Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google, conveyed his lack of urgency in competing with OpenAI, particularly its ChatGPT. Despite the buzz surrounding OpenAI’s AI chatbot, Google seems to have a deliberate approach.
Pichai expressed his excitement when ChatGPT was introduced, acknowledging that it demonstrated people’s readiness to engage with AI technology. However, he noted that Google’s AI technology needed further development before being integrated into their products.
“In some ways, it was an exciting moment for me because we are building that underlying technology and deploying it across our products,” Pichai stated. “But we are still being deliberate where we need to be. The technology arc is long, and I feel very comfortable about where we are.”
Regarding the timing of Google’s entry into the AI chatbot arena compared to OpenAI, Pichai didn’t believe it would have significantly impacted their long-term prospects.
“It’s not fully clear to me that it might have worked out as well,” Pichai remarked, emphasizing that Google could do more once people had an understanding of how the technology functions. He added, “It really won’t matter in the next five to 10 years.”
Google’s AI endeavors have been closely watched, especially since Pichai declared a “code red” in December 2022, expressing concerns about OpenAI’s chatbot potentially overshadowing Google’s search engine.
Despite the challenges, Google has made strides in launching its generative AI tools. Bard, Google’s AI chatbot, was introduced in March, though it faced criticism for inaccuracies in initial demonstrations.
Since then, Google has unveiled various AI products, such as “Duet AI for Workspace,” which integrates generative AI into existing products to enhance creativity and productivity. As of late August, Duet AI is accessible to all users.
Pichai reaffirmed that integrating generative AI into Google’s search engine, a core revenue generator, remains a top priority. The company aims to ensure that users continue to access web content seamlessly.
While Google’s strategy may be cautious, the future will reveal whether its core business can withstand the evolving landscape of AI technology.
