As we approach the new year, Google looks ahead to 2025, a year designated as crucial by CEO Sundar Pichai for the tech giant's strategic ambitions. Alphabet, the parent company of Google, faces challenges not only from regulatory scrutiny and legal issues but also in the rapidly evolving competition in artificial intelligence (AI). Google is making substantial investments into its AI model, Gemini, where the potential for disrupting traditional digital assistants is significant.
Recent advancements in AI are leading to a shift towards more powerful and efficient digital assistants, with Gemini already being leveraged by many users for inquiries that were traditionally managed by Google Assistant. Competing firms, such as Apple, are also intensifying their offerings with ChatGPT integration in Siri for supported iPhone models.
During a strategy meeting at its Mountain View headquarters, which was partially held virtually, Google executives emphasized the need to remain focused amidst the challenges faced throughout 2024, a year marked by difficulties for the company. Sundar Pichai remarked, "It's not lost on me that we are facing scrutiny across the world... So more than ever, we have to make sure we don't get distracted."
Developing the Gemini app has emerged as a primary goal for Google, with aspirations for it to achieve 500 million users, a milestone currently held by only 15 of its existing apps.
The Google Gemini app for Android. | Image credit-PhoneArena
With Google's Gemini poised to enter a competitive arena against leading generative AI models, Pichai shared insights from the strategy meeting, highlighting a chart showcasing the performance of various large language models, where Gemini 1.5 was positioned ahead of ChatGPT and its competitors. "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," stated Pichai. "I think that's what 2025 is all about."
Furthermore, Pichai noted that since February, there has been exponential growth in the number of users engaging with the Gemini app, asserting, "The products themselves are going to evolve massively over the next year or two."
