New Delhi, India – Google CEO Sundar Pichai underscored the transformative potential of artificial intelligence while reflecting on India’s rapidly evolving technological landscape during a speech at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi on . Pichai, speaking before a prominent audience including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighted the country’s progress and Google’s deepening commitment to the region.
Pichai recounted a personal anecdote, recalling his memories of traveling by train between Chennai and IIT Kharagpur as a student. He specifically remembered passing through Visakhapatnam, describing it at the time as a “quiet and modest coastal city brimming with potential.” He contrasted this memory with the present day, noting that Google is now establishing a “full-stack AI hub” in the city as part of a $15 billion infrastructure investment in India.
“Sitting on the train, I never imagined Vizag becoming a global AI hub, just as I couldn’t have imagined that one day I’d be spending time with teams figuring out how to put data centers into space, or taking my parents for a fully autonomous car ride in San Francisco,” Pichai stated, illustrating the speed of technological advancement.
The Google CEO’s remarks extended beyond infrastructure investment, touching on personal experiences that underscored the impact of AI. He described sharing a ride in a Waymo autonomous vehicle with his 83-year-old father in San Francisco. “Seeing Waymo right through my 83-year-old dad’s eyes, I saw the progress in a whole new light,” Pichai said, adding that his father, while impressed, suggested the technology would need to prove itself on India’s more chaotic roads.
Waymo, a subsidiary of Google’s parent company Alphabet, develops self-driving technology for cars and trucks, utilizing sensors, cameras, and artificial intelligence to enable autonomous operation. The company originated as Google’s self-driving car project in 2009 and became an independent entity in 2016. It currently operates a commercial autonomous ride-hailing service, Waymo One, in select US cities and is actively testing autonomous trucking and delivery solutions.
Pichai’s address at the AI Impact Summit comes as global tech leaders gather in New Delhi to discuss the implications of artificial intelligence. The summit is focused on exploring how AI can be harnessed for global good, addressing challenges and opportunities across various sectors. Google’s significant investment in India reflects a strategic focus on the country’s potential as a major player in the AI revolution.
Beyond the specific investments in Visakhapatnam and the exploration of space-based data centers, Pichai’s comments signal a broader commitment to fostering AI development and deployment in India. This includes initiatives aimed at bridging the digital divide and preparing the workforce for the changes brought about by AI. The remarks align with a growing international consensus on the need for collaboration between governments and the technology sector to ensure responsible AI innovation.
The AI Impact Summit also saw discussion of new physical connections between the US, and India. Google is building a “vast network of subsea fiber optic cables” as part of its America-India Connect Initiative, further bolstering digital infrastructure and connectivity between the two nations. This investment underscores the strategic importance of India as a key partner in the global technology landscape.
While the full transcript of Pichai’s remarks has been published by Google, the live speech, as captured by Reuters, offered additional insights into the company’s vision for AI and its role in shaping the future. The summit provides a platform for dialogue and collaboration, bringing together leaders from government, industry, and academia to address the complex challenges and opportunities presented by this rapidly evolving technology.
