Google CEO Sundar Pichai once said that artificial intelligence (AI) will have a greater impact on humanity than some of history’s greatest inventions. Speaking at a 2019 town hall event, Sundar Pichai said AI is “probably the most important thing humanity has ever worked on” and that it is “deeper than electricity or fire.”” During the discussion, Pichai said AI has the potential to transform society in ways that go beyond initial technological advances.“AI is one of the most important things humanity is working on. It’s deeper than electricity or fire,” Pichai said.Interviewer Kara Swisher questioned the comparison, saying, “Fire? Fire is pretty good,” but Sundar Pichai supported his view.“Well, I do kill people, too,” he replied. “While we learned to harness fire for the benefit of humanity, we also had to overcome its drawbacks. So what I’m saying is that AI is very important, but we need to be concerned about it. ”
AI is already powering Google’s everyday services
Next, Sundar Pichai said that people are already using AI every day, often without realizing it. He then cited Google Translate, Image Search, and Google Photos as examples of AI-powered tools used by billions of people.“AI is just making computers more intelligent and able to perform different tasks,” he said.Google’s CEO also said AI could help address some of the world’s biggest problems, including healthcare. “AI has the potential to be the biggest advance we see,” he said, adding that the technology could play a role in solving diseases such as cancer.At the same time, Sundar Pichai said that concerns about AI are valid. “It’s right to be worried, absolutely, if you don’t worry, it won’t go away,” he said.
