"I've always believed AI will be bigger than the internet."

On June 5, 2025, Sundar Pichai joined The Verge’s Decoder podcast days after Google I/O to unpack how the company is translating its AI research into products, revenue, and new hardware bets. The discussion blended platform strategy, search politics, and what comes after the smartphone.

AI platform evolution and strategic confidence

Pichai anchored Google’s current momentum in frontier research. “The confidence comes from the fact that we are pushing the boundaries of AI research at a more fundamental level,” he said, noting the shift from exploration to “firmly placing our bets” across product lines. He cast AI as the first platform that can create and self-improve: “This is the only platform we’ve experienced where it can ‘create’ and ‘self-improve’—something that never existed in any previous technology platform… I’ve always believed AI will be bigger than the internet.”

Products, monetization, and patient timelines

On questions about monetizing Google’s massive AI infrastructure spend, Pichai pointed back to Gmail’s origin as a 20% project that grew into Workspace. “Who could have predicted it would eventually spawn Workspace and enterprise-level business?” he asked, arguing that breakthrough innovations demand patience. He described AI as a horizontal technology spanning Search, YouTube, Cloud, Android, XR, Waymo, and Isomorphic Labs. Subscription plans are already rolling out, but he cautioned that significant revenue shifts “won’t happen overnight.”

Hardware horizons and the future of computing

Discussing next-generation hardware, Pichai highlighted partnerships with Gentle Monster and Warby Parker on smart glasses. “If we sit down to talk next year and I’m not wearing one of these devices, I’d be surprised myself,” he said, while acknowledging mass adoption remains distant. When asked about Jony Ive’s new venture with OpenAI, Pichai joked about the timing around Google I/O before welcoming the competition: “This kind of innovation is exciting and proves my point: the current technological revolution is being underestimated.”

Search transformation and publisher tensions

The conversation turned to the backlash from news publishers over AI-powered search experiences. Pichai maintained that “AI Mode clearly retains attribution of information sources” and argued that Google remains committed to sending traffic to websites even as other platforms pull away. He claimed AI Overview is driving “more diverse sources and publishers” traffic, though individual shares may decline. Responding to Apple executive Eddie Cue’s testimony about Safari search declines, Pichai asserted that “all metrics show query volume is growing, including on Apple devices.”

The web as agent-friendly infrastructure

At one of the interview’s most revealing moments, Pichai endorsed the idea that “the web is essentially a series of databases” with user interfaces layered on top. As AI agents handle more tasks, he predicted the web would be rebuilt for machine efficiency, comparing it to restaurants adapting for dine-in versus takeout customers. He floated models where consumers subscribe to agents that, in turn, share revenue with service providers—a CIO-style relationship brought to the consumer market.

Antitrust pressure, ranking integrity, and robotics

Pressed on the Justice Department’s demand that Google divest Chrome, Pichai defended the browser’s role in advancing the web, saying few companies would make similar investments. Asked whether search rankings could be tweaked to satisfy political complaints, he was blunt: “No. Google Search’s operating mechanism is very clear—no individual can intervene in the ranking algorithm… We take ranking mechanisms very seriously—they’re almost sacred and inviolable.”

Looking ahead, Pichai identified robotics as the next major AI platform stage: “The next major stage of platform migration will explode when AI deeply integrates with the physical world—that is, robotics.” Recalling AlphaGo’s rapid self-improvement, he underlined AI’s unique trajectory: “This is the essence of AI technology—profound, powerful, and continuously evolving.”