AI can make mistakes, don’t blindly trust it: Google CEO Sundar Pichai
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London: Google CEO Sundar Pichai has warned users not to “blindly trust” everything artificial intelligence (AI) produces, while cautioning companies to be wary of a potential AI investment bubble that could affect everyone.
In an interview with the BBC, the Indian-American head of Alphabet, Google’s parent company, highlighted that AI models are “prone to errors” and urged users to balance AI outputs alongside other tools. He stressed the importance of a rich information ecosystem rather than relying solely on AI technology.
“This is why people also use Google Search, and we have other products that are more grounded in providing accurate information,” Pichai told the BBC. He added that AI tools can be useful “if you want to creatively write something,” but users “have to learn to use these tools for what they’re good at, and not blindly trust everything they say.”
In May, Google introduced an “AI Mode” in its search using its Gemini chatbot, designed to offer an experience akin to talking to an expert. Pichai said, “We take pride in the amount of work we put in to give as accurate information as possible, but the current state-of-the-art AI technology is prone to some errors.”
Reflecting on the rapid growth of AI investment, he said it had been an “extraordinary moment” but noted some “irrationality” in the current AI boom. When asked whether Google would be immune to a potential AI bubble burst, Pichai said no company would be completely shielded, including Google.
“I think no company is going to be immune, including us,” he said during a wide-ranging interview at Google’s Silicon Valley headquarters in California. He compared the current AI phase with the early days of the internet, noting, “There was clearly a lot of excess investment, but none of us would question whether the internet was profound. I expect AI to be the same. So I think it’s both rational and there are elements of irrationality through a moment like this.”
Pichai added that Google’s unique model of owning its “full stack” of technologies — from chips to YouTube data, models, and frontier science — places it in a stronger position to withstand any AI market turbulence.
He also spoke about Google’s expanding footprint in the UK, announcing a commitment of 5 billion pounds over the next two years toward infrastructure and research. “We are committed to investing in the UK in a pretty significant way,” he said.
With PTI inputs