Google CEO Sundar Pichai in a message to his employees for New Year has said that 2025 will be critical for the company.
At a 2025 strategy meeting on Dec 18, Pichai and other Google leaders, hyped up the coming year, most notably as it pertains to what’s coming in AI, according to audio obtained by CNBC.
“I think 2025 will be critical. I think it’s really important we internalize the urgency of this moment, and need to move faster as a company. The stakes are high. These are disruptive moments. In 2025, we need to be relentlessly focused on unlocking the benefits of this technology and solve real user problems,” Pichai was quoted as saying by the CNBC.
Google is investing heavily to try and stay on top, principally through Gemini, its AI model. The Gemini app gives users access to a number of tools, including Google’s chatbot.
Pichai reportedly said “building big, new business” is a top priority. That includes the Gemini app, which executives said they see as Google’s next app to reach half a billion users. The company currently has 15 apps that have hit that mark.
At the meeting, Pichai showed a chart of large language models, with Gemini 1.5 leading OpenAI’s GPT and other competitors.
“I expect some back and forth” in 2025, Pichai said. “I think we’ll be state of the art.”
He acknowledged that Google has had to play catchup.
“In history, you don’t always need to be first but you have to execute well and really be the best in class as a product,” he said. “I think that’s what 2025 is all about.”