— We have been using AI for a while, with generative AI we are now taking the next step. We are in the process of redefining all of our core products, including the search function, said Sundar Pichai, CEO of parent company Alphabet, at Google’s annual conference for developers in Silicon Valley in California.
Google is in a race with rival Microsoft, which has moved quickly to integrate Chat GPT-like features into many of its products, including the Bing search engine.
Microsoft, which invested billions in Chat GPT, has thrown itself into the AI market despite concerns about the technology’s impact on society regarding, for example, misinformation.
According to Google CEO Cathy Edwards, AI technology will have a big impact on the search experience.
Other parts of the company’s offering such as Gmail and Maps will also be provided with AI functions.
The two tech giants’ major investments come at a time when many experts have warned of the risks of AI.
In March, Tesla and Twitter CEO Elon Musk, along with several other high-profile figures, called on the industry for an immediate pause in AI development in an open letter.
In the letter, they wrote, among other things: “Shall we automate away all jobs, including the meaningful ones? Shall we develop non-human minds that can eventually outperform, outsmart, make us obsolete and replace us? Shall we risk losing control of our civilization ?”