Sundar Pichai credits OpenAI for moving quickly to market with ChatGPT
Google’s Sundar Pichai has credited OpenAI for releasing ChatGPT first and has outlined how that moment has accelerated Google’s path from Bard to Gemini, even as the company has prioritised execution and reputation.
Google chief executive Sundar Pichai has acknowledged that OpenAI put its chatbot ChatGPT out first and has described how that moment has reshaped the company’s approach to generative AI, speaking at Salesforce’s Dreamforce event.
He has compared the ChatGPT breakthrough to earlier tech jolts such as YouTube and Instagram arriving ahead of incumbents.
Pichai said Google had internal chatbot prototypes but held off a public launch over “reputational” considerations, adding that OpenAI’s decision to ship has “shifted the window” for what users expect from AI. He has also credited OpenAI for moving quickly to market.
Asked on stage how it has felt for an AI leader to be beaten to market, Pichai has replied that “credit is due” to OpenAI for releasing first, while noting Google’s longstanding AI investments in models, chips and infrastructure.
He likened the moment to 2006, when YouTube surged as Google worked on video search, and to Instagram’s rapid rise while Facebook refined photo features.
Reports described Google management declaring a “code red” after ChatGPT’s arrival; Pichai has since said he did not personally issue such an order, even as he has pushed teams to move with urgency.
From caution to Gemini: Google’s timeline
OpenAI released ChatGPT on 30 November 2022, catalysing a wave of public interest in generative AI and intensifying competition across the sector. Microsoft deepened its multiyear, multibillion‑dollar partnership with OpenAI in January 2023.
Google opened early access to its own chatbot, Bard, on 21 March 2023, before expanding availability in May 2023.
In February 2024, Google rebranded Bard as Gemini and introduced a dedicated app and a paid Gemini Advanced tier, consolidating its consumer AI under the Gemini name.
Execution is key
Inside Google, the CEO reportedly argued that being first has mattered less than executing well, telling employees that the focus has been on making state‑of‑the‑art products rather than chasing headlines.
Separately, Pichai maintained that Google’s AI roll‑outs in search and across apps have been guided by cost discipline and ecosystem impact, an emphasis he has reiterated in broadcast interviews this past year.