Google to spend over $100 billion on AI – Deepmind CEO

Google intends to spend over $100 billion in investment in the development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

Demis Hassabis, the CEO of DeepMind, made the announcement at a TED conference in Vancouver while fielding questions about Google.

This bold move reflects the intense competition within Silicon Valley’s race to advance AI capabilities.

Hassabis made this known while responding to questions about the potential creation of a $100 billion supercomputer “Stargate,” a collaboration between Microsoft Corp. and OpenAI, Hassabis neither confirmed nor denied its existence.

However, he hinted that Google’s investment in AI surpasses that figure, indicating the company’s commitment to maintaining its leadership position in the field. “We don’t talk about our specific numbers, but I think we’re investing more than that over time,” He also said, and that Alphabet Inc. has superior computing power to rivals including Microsoft.

DeepMind, founded by Hassabis in 2010 and later acquired by Google, has been at the forefront of AI research. The partnership with Google in 2014 was driven by the recognition that substantial computational resources are essential for achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI), a milestone where machines surpass human-level performance across various tasks.

Hassabis expressed confidence in Google’s computing infrastructure, emphasizing its pivotal role in advancing AI towards AGI. Despite acknowledging the ongoing challenges and imperfections in AI systems, such as those demonstrated by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Hassabis noted the growing public acceptance of AI technologies.

In December, Google launched its new generative AI models with flagship Gemini Ultra, “lite” Gemini Pro, and Gemini Nano, which is designed to run on devices like the Pixel 8. At the same time, the company updated Bard with Gemini Pro for conversations in English.

What you should know

Google is not the only company interested in AI. Recently, Adobe Inc began investing $3 per minute in video content to fortify its artificial intelligence (AI) text-to-video generator. This move is aimed at narrowing the competition by OpenAI’s Sora.

Also, Nigeria is prepping to join the AI bandwagon as the Minister of Communications, Innovations, and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, has said that all the government’s efforts in Artificial Intelligence (AI) are geared towards positioning the country as one of the global leaders in the development and regulation of the technology.

The widespread interest generated by ChatGPT highlighted society’s readiness to embrace AI, even amidst its current limitations and occasional errors. Hassabis’s remarks underscore Google’s commitment to leveraging its vast resources and expertise to drive the development of AI technologies that have the potential to revolutionize various industries.

Google’s substantial investment in AI reflects the company’s long-term vision and positioning in the rapidly evolving ecosystem of artificial intelligence.