Part 6/9:
The shift began with Sundar Pichai’s appointment as CEO in 2015, where a focus on cost-cutting and reinvigorated revenue streams replaced the bold, expansive investment ethos that characterized earlier Google projects. After numerous high-profile failures, the company’s bold investments waned, robbing it of further opportunities to innovate.
Complacency Breeds Irrelevance
An ironic twist unfolded when Microsoft invested $1 billion into OpenAI, a move that elevated its standing significantly in the AI sector. Microsoft's opponents, once seen as beneath Google’s towering stature, surged forward while Google struggled to affirm its fundamentals in AI.