Google CEO Sundar Pichai robustly defended the company’s massive AI expenditures, comparing them to historic infrastructure like railroads that fueled enduring economic expansion. Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, he urged a long-term perspective on AI’s transformative potential.
Pichai’s Rationale for AI Spending
Pichai likened current AI builds to the “industrial revolution, but 10 times faster and 10 times larger,” countering boardroom doubts on returns. Google’s decade-long AI focus enhances products like Search, YouTube, Cloud, Waymo, and Isomorphic Labs, with Cloud backlog doubling to $240 billion YoY. He emphasized AI’s role in unlocking massive value, similar to past infrastructure leaps.
India’s AI Momentum Boost
At the Delhi summit, Pichai announced a full-stack AI hub in Visakhapatnam under Google’s $15 billion India infrastructure push, featuring gigawatt-scale compute and a subsea cable gateway for jobs and innovation. This aligns with India’s rising global AI stature, blending massive investments with practical applications for businesses and users.
