Editor’s Note: Today, Google CEO Sundar Pichai spoke in Paris, France at the AI Action Summit. Below is a transcription of the statement that is ready for delivery.
Renowned Leader, Everyone: I’m excited to be here with you today.
Thank you, President Macron, for bringing us this invitation and such a respected group here.
AI is a lifelong technology. And conversations like this, a conversation focused on collaboration and concrete actions, will drive this task forward.
With today’s session coming to an end, I would like to share some examples of why I am so optimistic about AI and its applications, as well as the opportunities that must benefit everyone everywhere.
Improving my life through technology is personal to me.
I grew up in Chennai, India. Each new technology took time to reach our gateway. A rotary phone was included. We were on a five-year wait list. And when it finally arrived, the phone changed our lives.
Before I had to go back and forth for my mother’s blood test results. And sometimes I’ll go all the way to the hospital and they’ll say, “No, I’m not ready. Come back tomorrow.” Now we just got the phone.
I thought technology had the positive impact it takes to make things better. It set me on a course that took me to the US and eventually set me up as a growing startup called Google.
I couldn’t imagine one day three Google colleagues toasting the Nobel Prize or riding their parents in a driverless car within weeks. And it’s all because of another technology: ai.
We are still in the early days, but I already believe that AI will be the deepest change in our lifetime.
It’s bigger than the shift to personal computing or mobile. And it does more to democratize access to information than the Internet.
In 18 months, the cost of processing one token, or building blocks used to process information, fell 97% for developers. So, what previously cost $4 per million, now costs just 13 cents, and we expect this trend to continue.
Results: Intelligence is more accessible and accessible than ever before.
Therefore, at this moment there is a characteristic of platform shifting. But what makes it so deep? Some things:
As AI interactions become more intuitive and human-like, they place us at the heart of our experience. Technology begins to feel like a natural expansion, strengthening human capabilities, filling gaps between expertise and experience, and breaking barriers such as language and accessibility.
As a truly general purpose technology, AI can be applied to many different human efforts and all parts of the economy. All businesses, all sectors use this technology in their own way, including the public sector.
As we continue to improve, we will drive innovation, opportunities and growth in the economy around the world, and drive an explosion of knowledge, learning, creativity and productivity that will shape the future in exciting ways.
The opportunities for AI are so great that it gives you. And it’s up to the people in this room to make sure as many people as possible benefit.
