Google is set to grow its engineering workforce through 2026, even as it sharpens its focus on artificial intelligence (AI). The announcement comes from Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google, during a recent tech conference in San Francisco. Despite AI reshaping job roles, Pichai emphasised that human talent is still at the core of Google’s growth strategy.
This hiring approach diverges from trends seen at other tech companies, such as Microsoft, which has made significant layoffs in recent months. While Google has also downsized in recent years to streamline resources, it now sees engineering talent as critical to scaling AI-driven opportunities.
Pichai stated that growing the engineering team allows Google to act faster and cover more ground in innovation. He acknowledged that AI tools are already enhancing productivity by reducing repetitive work but cautioned that the technology is still prone to errors, especially in coding.
On the topic of artificial general intelligence (AGI), Pichai expressed caution, stating that the timeline for achieving AGI remains uncertain. Meanwhile, he addressed growing concerns among publishers who claim Google’s AI-generated search summaries are lowering website traffic. Pichai maintained that Google tested these features extensively and aims to support healthy web ecosystems.
Elsewhere at the conference, Andrew Bosworth, Meta’s chief technology officer spoke about Silicon Valley’s growing involvement in defence projects. Meta has recently partnered with defence tech firm Anduril to develop AI-powered military gear, including a VR/AR helmet. Bosworth talked about how the sense of patriotism in the tech community’s approach to national defence is growing.
