Sundar Pichai says AI is reshaping Google search and spending plans

In short: Sundar Pichai says Google is rebuilding key products like Search around AI, while spending far more on the computers and power needed to run it.

What's going on

In a recent interview, Google CEO Sundar Pichai described AI as the company’s main focus, not a side project. He said this shift started years ago, when Google began treating AI as the engine behind future versions of Search, YouTube, ads, and other products.

Pichai also pointed to the scale of investment needed to make AI work at Google’s size. In earlier interviews he has said Google’s spending has risen sharply, tied to building more data centers (large buildings full of computers) and buying or designing more chips that can run AI quickly. A simple way to think about it is that AI is not just a new app, it is more like adding a new power-hungry factory to the business.

On products, Pichai has argued that AI will change how people look up information. Instead of only getting a list of links, Search is moving toward giving direct answers and helping with multi-step tasks. He has also talked about more capable AI assistants that can do helpful work in the background, more like a personal aide than a simple chatbot.

What to watch

Pichai has repeatedly said AI will bring benefits but also disruption, including job changes and new safety risks. Watch for how Google proves its AI tools are reliable, how it labels AI-made content, and how it responds to new rules from governments.

Source: NYTimes