Sundar Pichai says Google will make Search more task focused with AI

In short: Google CEO Sundar Pichai says Google is changing Search and YouTube so AI can answer questions and also help complete tasks.

What's going on

Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai told The Verge that Google has reorganized teams and sped up decision making as it pushes more AI into its products. He said Google now relies more on shared AI systems, including its Gemini models, so features can work across products like Search, Maps, and YouTube.

A big focus is making Search act less like a list of links and more like a helper that can do things for you. Pichai described “agents,” which are AI tools that can take steps on your behalf, like planning a trip or booking tickets (like having a digital assistant that can actually click the buttons). The Verge connected this direction to Google’s newer tools, including Gemini Spark, which is positioned as a way to run these task based workflows.

Pichai also addressed worries that AI answers could reduce visits to websites. The Verge’s Nilay Patel raised “Google Zero,” which is the idea that Google could answer so much directly that traffic to publishers drops toward zero. Patel cited Condé Nast CEO Roger Lynch, who said his teams are planning as if search traffic could be zero. Pichai said the web is still dynamic, and Google remains committed to connecting people to sources, and he noted Google has added more links in some AI experiences.

What to watch

If AI summaries and task features become the main way people use Search and YouTube, it could change how creators and publishers get paid and found online. It could also change how “the same” a search result feels for different people, since personalization means two people may see different answers.

Source: The Verge AI