Google CEO Pichai openly acknowledged in a podcast interview that Google is behind competitors in agent-based programming, but emphasized that its overall intelligence and multimodal capabilities remain at the industry’s forefront. He clearly stated that Google will not aggressively eliminate the classic search interface, instead adopting a gradual approach to preserve search links and sources. In response to accelerated expectations for AGI, Pichai noted that even if the short-term goal is not yet reached, technological capabilities will undergo generational leaps over the next three years, and society must prepare in advance. The interview revealed that Google is shifting from a generalist approach to differentiated competition, exchanging access to TPUs to accelerate technological iteration, while prioritizing transparency in its agent products to address user distrust.

Author and source: AIBase

Following the conclusion of Google I/O, Google CEO Sundar Pichai appeared on the popular tech podcast Hard Fork for an in-depth conversation on core issues including the large model competition, the transformation of search models, and AI safety. This rare candid exchange comes as Google faces multiple challenges in the AI race.

Overview of Key Points

Model evaluation: Google leads the industry in overall intelligence and multimodal capabilities, but currently lags behind competitors in agentic coding and handling complex, long-duration tasks.
Search transformation: Google will not aggressively switch entirely to an AI mode. Search links and sources will be retained for the long term, and the business model combining subscriptions and advertising remains robust in the AI era.
Agent Promotion: AI agents (such as the upcoming Spark) will adopt a "step-by-step approach," focusing on preventing boundary violations and out-of-bounds behavior to avoid causing users to develop a "backing away" mentality.
Compute Power Logic: Google continues to grant competitors access to TPUs, aiming to maintain its leadership at the hardware frontier through economies of scale and ecosystem collaboration.
AGI Alert: Due to the explosive technological advancements over the past two years, the anticipated timeline for achieving AGI is accelerating. Even if the goal is not reached in the short term, technological capabilities over the next three years will undergo a generational leap—society must prepare in advance.

Selected Interview: On Competition, Anxiety, and the Future 1. Honesty About “Falling Behind”: Acknowledging Programming Weaknesses

In response to external criticism, Pichai stated frankly: “Our models are highly competitive in text, audio, and general reasoning, but they do lag slightly in agent-based programming and instruction following.” He identified programming as a “core frontier” that Google must defend, and revealed that the team is rapidly addressing the performance regression in Gemini 3.5 Flash through post-training. He noted that in this field, “30 to 60 days feel like five years,” with the competitive landscape changing rapidly.

2. Regarding search: We won’t “rip off the band-aid”

In response to the question about when the classic search interface would be discontinued, Pichai emphasized the importance of guiding users. He stated that Google would adopt a deliberate, incremental approach rather than an abrupt transition. He noted that users still need search links as an efficient way to connect, which is not merely a matter of product habit but a fundamental requirement for information verification.

3. On Anxiety: The Inevitable Pain of Technological Change

When discussing public resistance to AI, Pichai demonstrated managerial prudence. He acknowledged that the pace of human evolution indeed cannot fully keep up with the astonishing speed of technological advancement, making anxiety “natural and reasonable.” However, he pointed out that the positive impacts of AI—such as improved efficiency in medical radiology—are underestimated. He does not endorse overly confident pessimistic predictions, but emphasized that society must engage and voice its preferences to guide technology toward beneficial outcomes.

4. On AGI: At a Critical Juncture in Its Evolution

Regarding whether the singularity is imminent, Pichai stated that moving toward AGI is an inevitable trend. Although he avoided providing a specific timeline, he explicitly acknowledged that the pace of technological advancement over the past one to two years has exceeded his previous expectations, bringing the realization of AGI closer than anticipated. He emphasized: "The public should not become complacent by assuming AGI is still far off."

Market Analysis: Google’s Conservatism and Innovation

Pichai's interview this time sends a clear signal: Google is transitioning from a "jack-of-all-trades" to a company focused on differentiated competition.

On the hardware side: Google has maintained its position as an "arms dealer" of AI computing power by opening up TPU access in exchange for accelerated technological iteration.
On the product side: Facing the first-mover advantage of Anthropic and OpenAI in programming tools (such as Cursor integration), Google is demonstrating strong reflection and a determined effort to catch up.
On the trust side: Google’s “transparency” strategy in its agent products suggests it understands that the biggest obstacle to AI adoption is not technological limitations, but users’ lack of trust.

This interview was not only Google’s response to external concerns, but also a reminder to the entire industry: in this profound transformation brought by artificial intelligence, no company can remain at the forefront forever—only through continuous technological iteration and deep societal adaptation can one remain unbeaten over the next three years.