Alphabet’s urgency emerged after OpenAI released ChatGPT in November 2022, quickly capturing public attention and enterprise interest. Early missteps in Google’s own generative-AI launches reinforced perceptions that the longtime search leader was falling behind. Hassabis conceded that Google had invented critical components—most notably the “transformer” architecture—but was “maybe a little bit slow” to commercialize them. The response, he said, has been to return to “startup or entrepreneurial roots,” adopting a faster and “scrappier” approach to product delivery.
Gemini milestones and daily oversight
The combined research force produced tangible results in March 2025 with the release of Gemini 2.5, an AI assistant integrated across Google Workspace, Android and other properties. Gemini 3 followed in November and drew positive reviews for its speed and versatility. Hassabis said the model pipeline now moves smoothly from DeepMind labs into products such as Search, Chrome and Cloud, a process expected to accelerate over the next 12 months.
To maintain momentum, Hassabis and Pichai review strategic priorities each day, adjusting road maps in real time while keeping the long-term goal of artificial general intelligence (AGI) in sight. AGI—systems considered as capable as humans across a broad range of tasks—remains the industry’s “Holy Grail.” Hassabis emphasized that the objective is to reach AGI “first, fast and safely,” echoing a safety-first stance promoted by global standards bodies such as the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Competitive landscape intensifies
Alphabet’s share price reflected early doubts about its positioning at the start of 2025 but finished the year with its strongest annual gain since 2009, buoyed by confidence in the revamped AI strategy. Even so, Hassabis described the environment as “ferocious,” citing established contenders like Amazon and newer entrants such as Perplexity and Anthropic. Industry veterans with “20 or 30 years” of experience, he said, have never seen competition at this level.
Analysts view DeepMind’s tight link to Google’s executive suite as a structural advantage. Daily communication with Pichai allows rapid reallocation of computing resources, talent or launch schedules as market conditions shift. The framework is intended to prevent a repeat of earlier delays that allowed OpenAI to dominate public discourse around generative chatbots.
Imagem: Internet
Bubble concerns and capital allocation
The AI surge has prompted comparisons to the dot-com boom of the late 1990s. Venture capital has poured into startups, some raising funds at valuations “unsustainable over the long run,” Hassabis warned. He acknowledged that certain parts of the sector “might be in a bubble,” but argued that AI’s eventual impact will be larger than any preceding technology wave. “There will be overexuberance once everyone realizes how transformative a specific technology is,” he said. “Then there’ll be a reckoning and the things that are real will survive and flourish.”
For Alphabet, the question is how to capitalize regardless of market cycles. Hassabis expressed confidence that Google’s core advertising, cloud and consumer businesses place the company “in the right position to win either way.” By embedding generative models directly into widely used services, the firm aims to capture value whether investor sentiment remains buoyant or cools.
Outlook for the next year
Looking ahead, DeepMind plans to refine Gemini and pursue new research directions aligned with AGI. Hassabis suggested that ongoing integration work—optimizing data centers, fine-tuning model architectures and aligning product teams—will enable faster global rollouts. Daily checkpoints with Pichai will continue, reflecting Alphabet’s view that execution speed is now as critical as scientific breakthroughs.
As 2026 approaches, Google’s ability to translate research leadership into consumer tools will determine whether its recent rebound endures. For now, DeepMind’s central role and deep ties to Alphabet’s top leadership suggest that the company has recalibrated its AI strategy for the relentless pace of industry competition.
Crédito da imagem: AFP via Getty Images
