Alphabet Inc.’s Chief Executive Sundar Pichai has said that Google will continue to expand its engineering team through at least 2026, even as the company deepens its focus on artificial intelligence (AI). Speaking at the Bloomberg Tech conference in San Francisco, Pichai noted that while AI is changing the nature of work, human talent remains central to Google’s operations.
The tech giant’s approach contrasts with moves by other major firms such as Microsoft, which has made significant job cuts this year. These layoffs have been attributed in part to the steep costs of staying competitive in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. Google itself has also carried out workforce reductions in recent years, aiming to reallocate resources more efficiently.
What Pichai stated about hiring engineers
Pichai said engineering hires would continue, arguing that increasing the number of engineers enables the company to take advantage of more opportunities. “I expect we will grow from our current engineering base even into next year, because it allows us to do more with the opportunity space,” he said during a conversation with Bloomberg journalist Emily Chang. He added that AI tools are already helping engineers become more efficient by reducing repetitive tasks.
While supportive of AI’s potential, Pichai acknowledged the current limitations of the technology. He pointed out that although AI has demonstrated strength in areas like coding, it is still prone to making elementary errors. When asked about the prospect of achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI), he responded cautiously: “So are we currently on an absolute path to AGI? I don’t think anyone can say for sure.”
Pichai addresses concern among publishers over AI-generated search results
Pichai also addressed growing concern among publishers over Google’s AI-generated answers in search results, which many argue are reducing web traffic to original sources. He insisted that Google remains committed to supporting the wider internet ecosystem. “We took a long time testing AI Overviews and prioritised approaches which resulted in high quality traffic out. I’m confident that many years from now that’s how Google will work,” he said.
Pichai has led the company since 2015, succeeding co-founder Larry Page. Asked who might be CEO when Google reaches its 50th anniversary, he joked that the person in charge will likely have a powerful AI assistant.
Elsewhere at the same conference, Meta Platforms Inc.’s Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth highlighted a shift in Silicon Valley’s approach to defence-related work. Meta recently partnered with Anduril Industries Inc., a defence technology firm, to develop AI-powered military equipment, including an augmented and virtual reality helmet.
“There’s a much stronger patriotic underpinning than I think people give Silicon Valley credit for,” Bosworth said, signalling a broader cultural change in attitudes toward working with the military.
Executives from firms including Anduril and Perplexity AI are expected to continue the conversation on AI and defence at the conference on Thursday.
(With inputs from Bloomberg)
