Interviewer: The shift in AI over the past year has been remarkable. Many people feel they need to start using AI or risk being left behind. Why should people start using Google’s AI?
Sundar Pichai: There are multiple reasons. To start with, AI enhances your experience. It summarizes information and saves you time. For example, you can type a complex question like, “Find me exercise studios within five miles of where I live that are open at these hours,” and it will provide a concise answer. This makes life easier, which is the primary goal of integrating AI into our products. AI is becoming a part of everything we do, and understanding its strengths and pitfalls is crucial. Getting familiar with new technology is essential.
Interviewer: What makes Google’s AI, like Gemini, better than competitors such as ChatGPT and Copilot?
Sundar Pichai: There are several key differences. One is the integration with Google Search and other Google products. For example, it can summarize your emails in Gmail, making it easy to send responses. It’s well-integrated across Google’s ecosystem, including YouTube. Over time, it will become multimodal, allowing you to interact using voice and visual inputs. Google has built a vast understanding of the world over many years, which grounds Gemini in reality. When you ask it to plan a trip, it provides accurate and grounded information.
Interviewer: Do you think we’ll see a real form of AI consciousness soon?
Sundar Pichai: Consciousness is a profound topic and not fully understood. There’s a difference between true consciousness and AI appearing conscious. In the next few years, AI will give the semblance of being conscious, making it hard to differentiate, but that’s different from actual consciousness. It’s a deep philosophical question, akin to questioning how we know if someone else is conscious.
Interviewer: What will AI look like for people in the next few years?
Sundar Pichai: AI will be omnipresent, assisting you in everyday tasks. For example, in Google Docs, it corrects spelling and grammar automatically. AI will be like this for nearly everything you do. You might talk to AI for interview tips or other advice, and it won’t seem strange. With projects like Asra, we’ve shown glimpses of this future. AI will become more magical and accessible.
Interviewer: What happens to those who don’t adopt AI?
Sundar Pichai: It’s important to try and interact with AI, using chatbots or other tools. Understanding and becoming familiar with AI gives you an advantage as technology evolves rapidly. Learning how to use AI effectively will be beneficial.
Interviewer: Is Google Assistant fading away with the rise of Gemini?
Sundar Pichai: Over time, Gemini will power Google Assistant, merging the two. Gemini can do everything Google Assistant can, and more. It will be at your fingertips to help you with various tasks.
Interviewer: What are people primarily using Gemini for?
Sundar Pichai: People use it for brainstorming and quick answers. For example, they might ask for Mother’s Day gift ideas or if a food is gluten-free. With Project Asra, you can even ask Gemini to look at something and provide an answer. Users are getting more comfortable with the technology, and it’s being used broadly for different needs.
Interviewer: What is your hope for AI in the future?
Sundar Pichai: I hope AI becomes a fundamental part of our lives, improving everything we do. It has the potential to make significant advancements, like self-driving cars and discovering new drugs. AI should be viewed as a profound technology, like electricity or fire, touching everything we do and making our lives better while being mindful of its pitfalls.
Interviewer: Thank you, Sundar. It’s exciting to hear about the future of AI from Google’s perspective.
Sundar Pichai: Thank you, I appreciate it. Take care.
