Following the emergence of Open AI chatbot ChatGPT, which has become the recent buzzword on the internet, tech giant Google, during its earnings call on Thursday reassured investors that it is still a leader in developing AI.
During the call, Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai revealed that in the coming weeks and months, users will soon be able to use large language models as a companion to search, while noting that the company is currently working on making AI-based large language models (LLMs).
The Large language model is an artificial intelligence tool that can read, summarize and translate texts and predict future words in a sentence letting them generate sentences similar to how humans talk and write.
Tekedia Mini-MBA edition 14 (June 3 – Sept 2, 2024) begins registrations; get massive discounts with early registration here.
Tekedia AI in Business Masterclass opens registrations here.
Join Tekedia Capital Syndicate and invest in Africa’s finest startups here.
In his words,
“Now that we can integrate more direct LLM-type experiences in Search, I think it will help us expand and serve new types of use cases, generative use cases.
“And so, I think I see this as a chance to rethink and reimagine and drive Search to solve more use cases for our users as well. It’s early days, but you will see us be bold, put things out, get feedback, and iterate and make things better.”
During the call, Pichai warned investors and analysts that the AI technology which is currently in the works will need to scale slowly, noting that he sees large language usage as still being in its early days.
He further disclosed that Google is developing AI with a deep sense of responsibility, noting that the company is going to be careful when launching AI-based products, as it plans to initially launch beta features and then slowly scale up from there.
Ever since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, which has seen it gather millions of users, Google has been facing intense pressure to maintain its dominance as the leading search engine giant.
The tech company is currently firing on all cylinders to create some AI features to enhance users’ experience on the search engine to avoid being displaced, knowing full well that its prime business is the web search.
ChatGPT’s arrival has visibly shaken Google out of its routine, with reports revealing that the tech giant is currently engaged in more than 20 A.I. projects, which is currently in the works.
With the recent launch of ChatGPT plus an upgraded version of ChatGPT, which comes with advanced features such as faster response times, general access to ChatGPT even during peak times, and priority access to new features and improvements, users have continued to ask if the chatbot will pose a threat to Google that could possibly displace the tech giant.
Meanwhile, brand consultant and former marketing professor Mark Ritson in an article revealed that ChatGPT is not in any way a threat to Google.
He stated that the OpenAI chatbot is not a product or service, rather it is a tool that can be used by other companies and organizations to enhance their products and services, nothing that tech firms should think of it as a component rather than a competitor.
He further argued that Google does not just search results, rather it is a comprehensive search engine, which has email, calendar, map, and a platform for advertising, among other things. “ChatGPT simply doesn’t compete with the breadth and depth of what Google offers”, he added.
Meanwhile, Gmail creator Paul Buchheit differs from his opinion, which he took to his Twitter handle to reveal that ChatGPT will destroy Google in the same way that the search engine killed The Yellow Pages.
Google may be only a year or two away from total disruption. AI will eliminate the Search Engine Result Page, which is where they make most of their money.
Even if they catch up on AI, they can't fully deploy it without destroying the most valuable part of their business! https://t.co/jtq25LXdkj
— Paul Buchheit (@paultoo) December 1, 2022
In his words,
“Google may be only a year or two away from total disruption. AI will eliminate the Search Engine Result Page, which is where they make most of their money. Even if they catch up on AI, they can’t fully deploy it without destroying the most valuable part of their business!”
Following the emergence of ChatGPT, analysts have predicted that ChatGPT’s influence will be everywhere this year, noting that the chatbot could pave the way for next-generation office apps, search engines, and many more.