Google’s Chatbot Strategy Delay Confirmed By Sundar Pichai

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Google CEO Sundar Pichai pulls back the curtain on Google’s chatbot strategy delay, admitting the tech giant tinkered with conversational AI years before ChatGPT stole the spotlight. Speaking at Salesforce’s Dreamforce event in October 2025, Pichai shared how internal experiments nearly birthed a rival bot but stayed shelved due to quality concerns. This candid reflection highlights Google’s pivot from pioneer to pursuer in the AI race, fueling debates on why the search behemoth hesitated while OpenAI dashed ahead. As AI reshapes tech landscapes, Pichai’s story underscores the high stakes of timing in innovation.

Google’s Chatbot Strategy Delay: From Internal Whispers to Gemini’s Global Leap

Google's Chatbot Strategy Delay confessed by Pichai

Pichai recounted Google’s deep-rooted AI roots, noting early chatbot prototypes that even sparked buzz when an engineer dubbed one “sentient” in 2022. “We were making a lot of progress,” he said, but the tech wasn’t polished enough for prime time. Credit OpenAI for leaping first—much like YouTube upended video search or Instagram disrupted photo feeds. Google’s chatbot strategy delay stemmed from caution: launching a flawed product risked brand damage.

Instead of frustration, ChatGPT’s debut thrilled Pichai. It shifted the industry window, validating Google’s long-haul investments. “I was excited because I knew we had been building this technology for so long,” he explained. Google adopted a full-stack AI push, from custom chips to elite research teams at Google Research, Brain, and DeepMind.

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Key milestones in Google’s accelerated roadmap include:

  • Gemini Kickoff: Merged Brain and DeepMind to fast-track development.
  • Gemini 2.5 Rollout: Now live, delivering advanced multimodal capabilities.
  • Gemini 3.0 Launch: Slated for late 2025, promising breakthroughs in reasoning and creativity.
  • 2026 Horizon: Even bolder advances, with Pichai teasing “extraordinary” progress.

This strategy delay, Pichai insists, fueled resilience. Google now leads with Bard’s evolution into Gemini, embedding AI across Search, Workspace, and Android. As competitors scramble, Google’s measured approach positions it for dominance. “The next year will be even more exciting,” Pichai declared. For businesses eyeing AI, his blueprint—from patience to rapid iteration—offers a roadmap to outpace tomorrow’s disruptions.

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