During a recent internal strategy meeting, Google CEO Sundar Pichai clearly outlined the company's future direction. He noted that 2025 will be a pivotal year for Google in the field of artificial intelligence, emphasizing that the company must focus more on leveraging AI technology to solve real user problems.
Pichai stated, "We need to recognize the urgency of this moment and accelerate our pace internally. The competitive pressure is immense right now." He further pointed out that while it may not have been necessary historically to be the first company to launch a product, Google must excel in product execution. He believes this is the core focus for 2025.
During the meeting, DeepMind co-founder Demis Hassabis shared his vision for a universal AI assistant that can operate seamlessly across any domain and device. He revealed that Google plans to update an early version of the assistant—Project Astra—in the first half of 2025, which is currently in a limited testing phase.
Regarding the possibility of launching a premium subscription service similar to ChatGPT Pro for $200, Hassabis stated, "We currently have no plans in that direction." He pointed out that the existing $20 per month Gemini premium subscription service already offers good value, but he did not completely rule out the possibility of introducing a premium subscription option in the future. "I'm not saying it will never happen."
This stance may also reflect Google's strategic thinking in artificial intelligence. Compared to the enhanced models and additional computing resources offered by OpenAI's ChatGPT Pro, Google seems to see limited potential in this area or may not yet have the corresponding computing capabilities.
At the end of December last year, Google released several new AI models, including Gemini 2.0 Flash, Flash Thinking, and the video generator Veo 2. According to Google's benchmark tests, Veo 2 outperformed OpenAI's highly regarded Sora Turbo.
Key Takeaways:
🌟 Pichai emphasized that 2025 will be an important year for Google in the AI field, urging the company to accelerate its development pace.
🤖 Hassabis proposed the launch of a universal AI assistant, with plans for an update in the first half of 2025.
🚫 Google currently has no plans to launch a premium subscription service like ChatGPT Pro, but the possibility for the future cannot be ruled out.
