2025: A Turning Point for Google in the AI Race

The CEO of Google, Sundar Pichai, informed his employees that the year 2025 will be a turning point for the company as it faces significant challenges in artificial intelligence and regulation. According to a report by CNBC, advancing AI technology was a central topic at a recent strategy meeting. Pichai emphasized the urgency of the situation: "It is crucial that we internally recognize the importance of this moment and act faster. The rules of the game are fiercely contested." The intention is to unlock the benefits of this technology and solve real user problems. The year 2023 brought a series of challenges for Google, particularly regarding strong revenue growth in search ads and cloud services, which were offset by increased competition in key areas. Within the company, there were also cultural conflicts and concerns about Pichai's vision for the future. Regulatorily, Google is in focus: A ruling in the US stated that Google holds an illegal monopoly in the search engine market, and the Justice Department demanded a breakup of the Chrome division. Furthermore, there are ongoing proceedings regarding the dominance of online advertising. In the UK, Google is also under scrutiny by competition authorities over its advertising technologies. Pichai expressed being honored yet concerned: "It has not gone unnoticed that we are under observation worldwide. It's part of a broader development where technology profoundly impacts society." In the search engine industry, Google is facing growing competition from generative AI, especially through OpenAI's ChatGPT, which launched at the end of 2022. OpenAI plans to launch its own search engine, while Perplexity, another AI contender, recently secured $500 million in funding. Google is investing heavily in artificial intelligence, particularly through its Gemini model, which offers users a variety of tools. Pichai highlights that the "building of large, new businesses" is a central goal, with the Gemini app touted as the next major success story.