Free, Open Internet Under Attack: Google CEO Sundar Pichai
The free and open Internet is under attack around the world, Google CEO Sundar Pichai has warned, asserting that many countries are restricting the flow of information and the model is often taken for granted.
In an in-depth interview with the BBC at the Google headquarters at Silicon Valley in California, the tech boss covered a wide range of topics, including the threat to free and open Internet and also narrowed down on two developments that he feels will further revolutionise the world over the next quarter of a century as artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing.
Pichai, 49, who was born in Tamil Nadu and grew up in Chennai, has said India is deeply rooted in him and a big part of who he is.
“I’m an American citizen but India is deeply within me. So it’s a big part of who I am,” he said, when asked about his roots.
Pichai also addressed the controversies around tax, privacy, and data. He argued artificial intelligence was more profound than fire, electricity or the Internet.
“I view it [artificial intelligence] as the most profound technology that humanity will ever develop and work on. You know, if you think about fire or electricity or the Internet, it’s like that. But I think even more profound,” said Pichai, the CEO of Google and its parent company Alphabet.
