NEW DELHI: The true test of progress is when such systems can operate on India’s roads, said Google CEO Sundar Pichai, speaking about his recent ride in a fully self-driving Waymo car in San Francisco with his 83-year-old father. “In my days in India, I never imagined that one day I would be spending time with teams building data centers in space…and when I saw the Waymo flight next to my dad’s house, I saw a whole new advancement. And of course, he said he would be even more impressed if this service worked on the busy roads of India. I’m still working on it, Dad,” he shared. This anecdote made a broader point: that AI is advancing rapidly, but its benefits must be available across diverse and complex markets. Pichai confirmed Google’s $15 billion investment to establish an integrated AI center and expand digital infrastructure in the country. The initiative forms part of a broader connectivity drive that deeply connects India to global data networks. Pichai described artificial intelligence as “the biggest platform shift of our lifetime” and said the technology enables breakthroughs in science and healthcare. Pichai acknowledged that artificial intelligence will reshape the workforce, by automating some tasks and creating new categories of jobs.
