Google CEO, Sundar Pichai says Search will “change profoundly” in 2025

Google CEO, Sundar Pichai has said its search engine will see “profound” changes by 2025. According to him, these changes will be driven by advancements in artificial intelligence. During an interview with Andrew Ross Sorkin at The New York Times DealBook Summit, Pichai highlighted the company's plans to tackle increasingly complex search queries and maintain its position in the AI industry.

Tackling search complexity with AI

Pichai expressed confidence in AI's potential to enhance Google Search capabilities. He said, “I think you’ll be surprised, even early in ‘25, the kind of newer things Search can do compared to where it is today.” “I think we are going to be able to tackle more complex questions than ever before,” Pichai said. 

He added that users should expect significant updates to search functionality. He also emphasized that breakthroughs in algorithms and technical reasoning would enable Google to handle complex challenges better.

Responding to competition with other AI companies

When questioned about Google’s position in the AI search market, Pichai highlighted the company’s pioneering contributions. He pointed out that foundational AI technologies, like transformers, originated from Google’s research and shaped the industry.

“We’ve applied AI most aggressively in search,” Pichai noted, citing tools like BERT and MUM, which he claimed have improved search quality and introduced multimodal capabilities. He also referenced Google’s Gemini model, which powers AI features used by over a billion search users.

In response to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s earlier remarks about Google’s role in the AI race, Pichai said. “I would love to do a side-by-side comparison of Microsoft’s own models and our models.” He argued that Microsoft is “using someone else’s models.” 

Google fights competitors including Microsoft and OpenAI. Both companies have partnered to deliver AI technologies that could challenge Google’s search engine, extending their collaboration last year. OpenAI’s advanced AI models can now be integrated into Microsoft products. Microsoft has also rolled out Bing generative search to all U.S. users, while OpenAI recently launched SearchGPT, integrating real-time web search into ChatGPT. 

However, Google has already begun rolling out updates to its AI capabilities in Search, including AI-generated summaries. Recently, it expanded its AI Overviews to over 100 countries. Google also released new video search options via Google Lens. A feature that will let users record videos and ask questions about moving objects through the Google app. The company’s Gemini model is also poised for further enhancements as Google seeks to challenge its rivals.

Challenges for Google Search

Pichai said that the road ahead for Google Search will be challenging. “The progress is going to get harder when I look at 2025; the low-hanging fruit is gone,” he said. He emphasized the need for advancements in technical areas such as planning, reasoning, and algorithmic efficiency.

The role of Google in an AI-driven world

He also addressed concerns about search’s relevance amid competition from AI-driven platforms and content overload. Pichai argued that search becomes even more valuable in a world saturated with inauthentic content, as users rely on it to find trustworthy information. “In a world in which you’re inundated with content, you’re trying to find trustworthy content… search becomes more valuable,” Pichai said.

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