Google’s AI Narrative is Starting to Flip

After a rough start, more within the tech industry are looking at Google's technical capabilities, resources, and silicon and reassessing its position in the AI race.

Hours after Google wrapped its major cloud keynote on Tuesday, I sat down for dinner with three public tech company CEOs and a handful of journalists on New York’s West Side. It was the type of gathering happening more frequently in the post-Covid era, where top executives and media meet to discuss the latest AI breakthroughs. And unlike most such gatherings, it was on the record. 

Within the first 20 minutes, the future of Google came up, and the feeling in the room was surprisingly positive. Box CEO Aaron Levie, Datadog CEO Olivier Pomel, and MongoDB CEO Dev Ittycheria took turns explaining why the company is in better position than the public perceives. And while Google’s challenges in AI remain real, it was perhaps a signal that the dark narrative around the company is starting to lift.

Let me take you inside the room.