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| Sundar Pichai discusses Google AI plans after ChatGPT launch. |
When OpenAI launched ChatGPT in late 2022, it sent shockwaves across Silicon Valley — and even Google wasn’t immune. In a recent discussion at Salesforce’s Dreamforce conference, Google CEO Sundar Pichai opened up about how the company entered a state of “Code Red”, forcing its top leaders to rethink the future of AI and search.
According to Pichai, ChatGPT’s sudden popularity triggered deep concern inside Google. The company realised that a small startup had potentially built a tool capable of disrupting the world’s largest search engine. “Credit to OpenAI — they released it first,” Pichai admitted. “We were working on similar technology, but we weren’t ready to launch since our internal standards for quality and safety were not yet met.”
Founders Return to Handle Google’s Biggest Challenge
The situation became so critical that Google’s legendary founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, were called back to help strategize. Having stepped down from daily operations in 2019, their return signified the seriousness of the threat. Internally, Google knew that ChatGPT’s conversational interface could change how people searched for information — something that directly challenged Google’s $149 billion search business.
In response, the tech giant swiftly reorganised its teams, redirecting over 20 major AI projects to focus on generative AI and chatbot development. The “Code Red” moment pushed Google to act faster than ever before.
From Panic to Innovation: Birth of Bard (Now Gemini)
While the world saw panic, Sundar Pichai described his reaction as excitement and opportunity. “The window had shifted,” he said, explaining how OpenAI’s success validated Google’s years of quiet investment in AI research.
This led to the development and launch of Google Bard in early 2023 — later rebranded as Gemini. The platform represented Google’s direct answer to ChatGPT, aiming to combine conversation, reasoning, and factual accuracy within one intelligent assistant.
Pichai noted that while OpenAI could afford to experiment more freely, Google had a responsibility to ensure reliability, given its massive global user base. “We couldn’t take shortcuts with safety,” he explained, acknowledging that one wrong move could harm user trust built over decades.
Google’s AI Revolution and What Comes Next
Following the “Code Red” phase, Google invested billions into AI infrastructure, including a new $15 billion AI hub in Visakhapatnam, India. The company continues to expand Gemini’s ecosystem across products like Search, Gmail, YouTube, and Android.
The incident ultimately turned what seemed like a crisis into an opportunity — transforming Google into an AI-first company. What began as panic evolved into a new era of innovation, setting the stage for the AI arms race that now defines Silicon Valley.
Conclusion
The ChatGPT launch may have started as a wake-up call, but it became Google’s biggest turning point in years. Thanks to Sundar Pichai’s leadership and the return of its founders, the company didn’t just survive the challenge — it reshaped itself for the future of AI.