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The search giant is already feeling the heat of the sudden cutthroat competition in AI, and is making some very loud noises.
The fiasco has reinforced the perception that Google has suddenly fallen behind in the AI race, and there are now growing calls for CEO Sundar Pichai to be replaced.
Analyst and Strategy Author Ben Thompson I wrote this week Google needs change, he said, and that “means getting rid of those who allowed the former to run amok, including CEO Sundar Pichai.” Mr. Thompson’s newsletter is widely read by his Googlers and others in Silicon Valley.
Mark Schmulik of Bernstein Internet also wondered in a research note published this week whether it was time for a shakeup at the top of the internet giants.
“The recent turmoil only exacerbates the question of whether this is the right management team to lead Google into its next era,” he said. Business Insider has reached out to Google for comment.
Google doesn’t like to rush.
Combined with the earlier Bard fiasco in which Google’s AI chatbot made a stock-knocking mistake in a public demo, Google suddenly looks like a company in a hurry.
And here’s the problem. Insiders say Google doesn’t like to rush things because it’s too bureaucratic and doesn’t want to hurt its search business.
Pichai, who was named CEO of Google in 2015 and Alphabet in 2019, has proven to be a strong CEO for the companies in normal times. He is a capable and steady person who protects Google’s valuable search business and deals diplomatically with regulators. His tenure has been good for shareholders, with Google’s market capitalization now at about $1.7 trillion, up from just over $400 billion in 2015, when Pichai took over.
Stagnation at Googleplex
But as Business Insider reported this week, current and former employees say a plateau is starting to set in at Googleplex, and those problems are being brought into the open now that the company is trying to get its products to market as quickly as possible. We are concerned that this is beginning to surface.
Aravind Srinivas, Perplexity CEO and former OpenAI researcher (Google and DeepMind intern) said: This week we also touched on the debate over Pichai’s future.even theorized who would replace the CEO (though he emphasized his admiration for Pichai).
“Mr. Sundar is also the CEO of Alphabet and is in the perfect position to appoint him as CEO of Google,” Srinivas said of X, whether it’s an external newcomer, an internal candidate, or an internal candidate. It was something that he would “force himself to continue playing.”
Marissa has a view
Marissa Mayer, Google’s 20th employee and 13-year employee, also weighed in on the discussion.
response to Tweet Color Health CEO Osman Laraki said Google faces an “unsolvable problem.” Mayer defended Google to some extent.
“I want them to win and they can,” she wrote. but added: “They need to focus on innovation and adopt a “challenger” mindset (rather than market leader). ”
Shmulik said that until users start migrating to other platforms for their search queries, “we’re not ready to declare Google search dead or at risk from Generative AI.” .
But it may happen sooner or later. gartner We recently predicted that traditional search will decline by 25% by 2026 due to AI alternatives such as Perplexity’s chatbot-style services.
Google knows this is the reality it faces, so it’s slowly but surely developing new AI-powered searches. But the latest scandal has analysts worried about the long-term outlook and whether Mr. Pichai can weather the biggest storm Google has ever faced.
The question is, if not Pichai, then who? about it.
Are you a current or former Google employee and have a tip? You can contact Hugh Langley Encrypted Messaging App signal and telegram (628-228-1836) or Email.