Google CEO Sundar Pichai recently appeared on the All-In Podcast hosted by David Friedberg. During the conversation, he spoke about Google’s AI efforts and made a light remark aimed at Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
Gemini Competes in a Crowded Field
To begin with, Pichai talked about Gemini, Google’s generative AI chatbot formerly known as Bard. Currently, Gemini faces strong competition from tools developed by OpenAI, Meta, xAI, and Microsoft.
During the podcast, Friedberg asked Pichai about the major tech leaders involved in the AI race. He mentioned Sam Altman (OpenAI), Elon Musk (xAI), Mark Zuckerberg (Meta), and Satya Nadella (Microsoft), and asked for Pichai’s thoughts.
Pichai Balances Praise With Humor
At first, Google CEO Sundar Pichai gave a diplomatic response. “Obviously, by definition, it’s a very impressive group. I think you’re talking about some of the best companies, some of the best entrepreneurs. It shows how much progress we are going to see, because you’re basically talking about many people who are working hard to drive that progress,” he said.
Moreover, he noted, “Look, each of them, they’re different people. I am fortunate to know all of them.”
However, before moving on, he slipped in a light jab: “I think maybe only one of them has invited me to a dance, not the others.” Friedberg looked puzzled, but Pichai smoothly changed the topic, mentioning his past conversations with Elon Musk about technology.
Nadella’s Comment From 2023 Resurfaces
Notably, Pichai’s remark was a reference to Satya Nadella’s 2023 comments about Google. Back then, Microsoft had announced an AI-powered version of its Bing search engine.
In an interview with The Verge, Nadella had said, “At the end of the day, [Google is] the 800-pound gorilla in this. I hope that, with our innovation, they will definitely want to come out and show that they can dance. And I want people to know that we made them dance.”
Although Nadella never literally invited Pichai to dance, Pichai playfully turned the phrase around, adding a bit of humor to a serious conversation on AI.
