This shift in focus comes at a time when other tech giants, like Apple and Meta, are also making similar moves. The launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT was a significant turning point, prompting Google to concentrate on its core business and AI. There was a sense within Google that it was falling behind in generative AI, which could be used for search and potentially threaten Google's core business of search engine advertising. Today, Google is more focused on search and AI, with its X operation being less of a priority.
Key takeaways:
- Google has reportedly shifted its focus from “moonshot” projects to core products like its search engine and artificial intelligence (AI) businesses due to shrinking budgets and increasing chatter about AI.
- Google’s special projects-focused lab, X, has seen a decrease in budget and a greater emphasis on each project having a business plan.
- There was a sense within Google that the company was falling behind in generative AI, which could be used for search and thus threaten Google’s core business of search engine advertising.
- Other tech giants have made similar moves, with Apple stopping its autonomous car project and Meta dialing back some hardware efforts.