According to a report in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Google CEO Sundar Pichai has announced the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into its search engine. This decision shows the competition that Google faces from OpenAI’s ChatGPT and other similar technologies. Mr Pichai believes that the improvements in AI will enhance Google’s ability to respond to a variety of search queries. However, he rejected the idea that chatbots pose a threat to Google’s search business, which generates more than half of its parent Alphabet Inc’s revenue. He also stated that the opportunity space is even bigger now. Google has been a pioneer in the development of large language models (LLMs), which are computer programs that can provide responses to questions that mimic those of people. The company now aims to improve the user experience on its search engine using this technology. According to Mr Pichai, users will be able to ask questions to Google and engage with LLMs in the context of search.
Apart from investor pressure to reduce costs, Mr Pichai is also dealing with one of the biggest challenges to Google’s core business in years, as Microsoft recently launched an upgraded version of its Bing search engine powered by ChatGPT. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella believes that this new development will reshape every software category, including search, much like the advancements in personal computers and cloud computing.
In an interview with WSJ, Mr Pichai expressed his amazement at the excitement among consumers regarding the adoption of these technologies, including Google’s chatbot Bard, which has yet to gain traction. When asked why Google did not introduce an AI chatbot earlier, he explained that the company was iterating to ship something, and maybe timelines changed given the moment in the industry.
