Google CEO Sundar Pichai acknowledged that the company’s antitrust battles could take years to resolve, suggesting that they don’t pose an immediate threat to its business. “It’s going to take time for it to play out. Where we think it really harms our ability to innovate on behalf of our users, we are going to be vigorous in defending ourselves,” he stated.
Google currently faces two antitrust trials brought by the US Justice Department, accusing the company of monopolizing the digital advertising and online search markets. The advertising trial began this month, while Google recently lost in the search case.
Commenting on the recent loss, Pichai said, “We definitely disagree with the ruling, but it’s still in the middle of the remedies phase. And you know, we will appeal, and this process will likely take many years.” To illustrate how long appeals can take, he pointed to Google’s recent victory against a €1.5 billion ($1.7 billion) antitrust fine in the EU General Court, which took over four years to conclude.
Pichai also announced a new $120 million ‘Global AI Opportunity Fund’ aimed at expanding AI education and training globally, with a focus on local languages and partnerships with nonprofits and NGOs.
Reflecting on his personal journey, Pichai shared, “Growing up in Chennai, India, with my family, the arrival of each new technology improved our lives in meaningful ways. I didn’t have much access to one growing up. When I came to graduate school in the US, there were labs full of machines I could use anytime I wanted – it was mind-blowing.”
