Google’s annual I/O conference is traditionally the moment when the company shows off its most ambitious technologies. But in 2024, the central theme was even more defining: the shift from AI research to real products that change the lives of billions.

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet and Google, shared his vision of this shift in a major interview with The Verge, explaining why he sees artificial intelligence not just as another innovation, but as a fundamental change that will impact everything. The MIM:AGENCY team has prepared some key takeaways, detailed in this piece.

Research Becomes Reality

Google has long cultivated its image as a company deeply engaged in computer science. According to Pichai, AI has been at the center of the company’s strategy for years, but only now are the results of that long-term research becoming available to users as real products.

This shift is happening in several stages:

  • Phase one: building technologies like transformers (the architecture underlying language models such as GPT or Gemini). This was a research breakthrough proving that machines can understand text and language with remarkable depth.
  • Phase two: turning this technology into products everyone can use. Examples include Gemini (with AI Overviews in Search), AI-based coding tools, and the new Flow product for no-code app creation.

Google calls this approach “Research becomes Reality” – research that becomes part of our everyday experience.

“We’ve made deep progress on all fronts, from text models to world models, from generative AI to product integration. It’s a true fundamental shift,” Pichai says.

Democratizing App Creation

One of the most interesting consequences of the AI platform is the democratization of development. Just as the internet enabled anyone to write blogs, and smartphones with cameras allowed everyone to shoot videos for YouTube, AI is now making it possible to create intelligent apps without needing to be a programmer.

This idea is called VIP coding in the interview:

  • Today, most AI coders help experienced programmers (autocompleting code, generating functions).
  • But the future is about enabling non-programmers to describe what they need in natural language and see it built.

Google is already showcasing examples:

  • NotebookLM: a tool for creating personalized research assistants that work with your documents.
  • Flow: a platform for building apps using natural language descriptions, which are automatically turned into functional apps.

This changes the product creation paradigm: access to intelligent solutions will no longer be limited to Silicon Valley programmers.

“It’s still very early. But we’re confident the number of AI-built apps will explode just like mobile apps did after the iPhone,” Pichai emphasized.

Hardware and Augmented Reality: The Next Interface Shift

Another critical aspect of the AI platform is changing how humans interact with machines. According to Pichai, every platform has had its revolutionary interface:

  • PC – keyboard and mouse.
  • Smartphone – touchscreen and mobile internet.
  • AR/VR – potentially the next interface.

At Google I/O, they showcased:

  • AR glasses built in partnership with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker.
  • XR headsets that Google is developing with Samsung (teased for the end of the year).

These products won’t become mainstream next year, but Pichai is confident:

  • Millions of people will start testing them.
  • Developers will gain access to SDKs and hardware to build apps.
  • Over time, these devices will become as commonplace as smartphones.

He also acknowledges the challenges:

  • Wearability (especially for people with vision correction).
  • Processing power and battery life.
  • Integration with Google services to deliver obvious value.

“I’d be surprised if you and I sat down a year from now and I wasn’t wearing such glasses,” Pichai added.

The Evolution of Search and the Role of AI Overviews

Search is the heart of Google’s business. And it’s undergoing a profound transformation:

  • AI Overviews – a new search mode that generates summaries with links to sources.
  • Gemini is integrated into search to deliver more “human-like” answers.
  • AI Mode, announced for the U.S., is becoming the primary new feature.

We explained how search works with AI in our article “How to Get Sited by AI and What is GEO Optimization?”

This shift has the potential to change everything:

  • Users receive direct answers instead of just links.
  • But Google promises to preserve site traffic, as it’s the foundation of its ecosystem.

This shift has already caused friction:

  • The News Media Alliance has accused Google of “stealing content” without compensating publishers.
  • Google counters that AI Overviews don’t reduce, but increase site visits by providing better guidance.

Pichai notes:

  • Over the past two years, the number of pages in Google’s search index has grown by 45%.
  • People are searching more, with longer and more complex queries.

“Our responsibility is to drive traffic to the web. We’ve done it for 25 years and will keep doing it.”

Agent-Based Services

One of the most interesting parts of the interview was about the so-called agent-first web:

In the future, users may not see traditional websites at all. Instead, agents (AI assistants) will interact with web services as APIs or databases, performing tasks on behalf of the user.

Examples:

  • An agent books accommodation by analyzing Airbnb options.
  • Orders food delivery via DoorDash.
  • Calls a ride through Uber.

This raises big questions:

  • How will services maintain their connection with customers?
  • Will they agree to become “dumb pipes” for agents?
  • Will they charge commissions for agent access to their data?

Pichai compared it to accepting credit cards:

“Stores pay for payment processing because it helps them get more customers.”

But he admits it will be a complicated process of aligning interests. MIM:AGENCY has prepared its own guide on how AI agents already work today, and whether they represent a threat or a new opportunity for businesses.

The Economics of AI: Monetization and Long-Term Bets

Google is spending massive sums on AI:

  • Building data centers.
  • Developing models.
  • Integrating AI into products.

Will these investments pay off? Pichai admits – not immediately. But he compares it to the history of Gmail:

  • It began as an internal experiment.
  • Became the core of Workspace.
  • Eventually helped launch Google Cloud, now a multibillion-dollar business.

AI has similar potential:

  • Supporting all of Google’s businesses (Search, YouTube, Cloud, Play).
  • Being applied to medicine, law, and education.
  • Offering subscriptions for AI assistants.

“I’ve never seen another technology that could support so many businesses at once,” he emphasized.

What Predictions Does Sundar Pichai Make for the Future?

The most dramatic future Pichai envisions combines AI and robotics:

  • Already today, there’s Waymo, “a robot on wheels.”
  • But next will be general-purpose robots that can help people in many fields.

This will be a genuinely new stage of the platform:

  • Moving from virtual assistants to physical ones.
  • Performing tasks in the real world.
  • Transforming the economics of services and manufacturing.

“When AI creates that magical moment in robotics, that will be the next big platform shift,” Pichai concluded.

Conclusion

The interview makes it clear: for Google, artificial intelligence isn’t just another service in its portfolio. It’s the new foundation for everything:

  • Search.
  • Mobile platforms.
  • Glasses and XR.
  • Agents communicate with services.
  • Robots acting in the physical world.

There are many questions ahead – economic, ethical, and technical. But if Google is right, AI will change the world even more profoundly than the internet or smartphones.

It’s worth noting that this “platform shift” is already changing how companies build customer acquisition and marketing strategies. Marketers now have access to tools that automate text, video, and design creation, opening up an entirely new level. Major brands will have to adapt to a world of agents, thinking about how they’ll appear in “conversations” between AI and customers, and how to maintain that connection even when orders come through assistants. Artificial intelligence promises not only to change Google’s products but to transform all business logic, forcing companies to rethink value, customer experience, and ways of competing in the market.

Source:

Google CEO Sundar Pichai on the future of search, AI agents, and selling Chrome