Podcast Discussion: Google: The AI Company
Let's discusses a podcast episode that tells the complete story of Google's 20+ year AI journey: from their first tiny language model in 2001 through the creation Google Brain, the birth of the transformer, the talent exodus to OpenAI (sparked by Elon Musk's fury over Google’s DeepMind acquisition), and their current all-hands-on-deck response with Gemini. And oh yeah — a little business called Waymo that went from crazy moonshot idea to doing more rides than Lyft in San Francisco, potentially building another Google-sized business within Google. This is the story of how the world's greatest business faces its greatest test: can they disrupt themselves without losing their $140B annual profit-generating machine in Search?
Here is how it works:
[Optional] Prior to the event: Listen to the following Podcast Episode by Acquired (during your commute or workout). Any of the following 3 link works):
Apple podcast Link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/google-the-ai-company/id1050462261?i=1000730326283
Spotify pocast link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1WICjyeivPI7KqGFq4zFKe
YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCEB7xHer5U
During the event: We will breakout into small groups (max 6 people per group).
Discussion Questions:
Google's original DNA was rooted in AI as the "ultimate search engine." How should we encode the core strategic mission of our startup today to withstand the inevitable technological shifts of the next two decades?
The innovators dilemma is the risk of cannibalizing a profitable core business. What is the counterpositioning strategy we can adopt now to ensure our current success doesn't prevent us from pursuing a radically better future product?
Google’s research-to-product flywheel was too slow to seize the Transformer opportunity. How must we structure the relationship between R&D and product development to ensure breakthroughs immediately translate into market advantage?
AI was a sustaining innovation for Google until ChatGPT made it disruptive. If we spot a fringe technology currently making only incremental improvements to our product, what criteria should we use to judge when to go "code red" on it?
Waymo's 15-year journey validates the power of patient, long-term capital for solving complex, high-impact problems. What large, seemingly impossible problem in our industry is currently ignored that we can start solving with a 10+ year time horizon?
Group Mission
Facilitate Deep Discussions for Bold Innovators.
👥 Who should join
AI practitioners, startup founders, students, and researchers curious about AI’s development and impact.
Community Ground Rules
To provide an enjoyable experience for fellow participants, here are three ground rules during discussion events:
Step up and step back. (If you feel that you’ve been talking too much, step back to listen more. If you feel that you’ve been relatively quiet, step up to share your perspective or ask a question)
Listen to understand, not to respond.
Be open-minded and value differences.