At the Bloomberg Tech Conference in San Francisco, Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced that the company will continue hiring engineers through at least 2026, even as it doubles down on artificial intelligence (AI).
🧠 AI Is Evolving, But People Still Matter
“AI is changing how we work, but human talent is still at the core of Google,” — Sundar Pichai
While many companies are cutting back on staff due to rising AI development costs, Google is doing the opposite. Pichai said that hiring more engineers allows the company to explore more opportunities created by AI innovation.
🔧 Why Engineering Jobs Are Safe at Google
Pichai explained that engineers are still essential to the company’s growth. Even though AI tools are improving and helping with repetitive tasks, they can’t fully replace human thinking, at least not yet.
“We’ll grow our engineering base even into next year,” Pichai said.
⚠️ AI Has Limits—And Google Knows It
Although AI is improving fast, it still makes basic mistakes, especially in coding. When asked about the future of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), Pichai replied:
“Are we on an absolute path to AGI? No one can say for sure.”
📉 Google vs. Microsoft: A Different Strategy
Unlike Microsoft, which laid off thousands in 2024 to cut AI costs, Google is choosing to restructure teams instead of cutting deeply. The goal? Efficiency without massive job loss.
🌐 Publisher Concerns About AI Search Results
Pichai also addressed complaints from publishers who believe Google’s AI Overviews are stealing traffic from their websites.
He reassured them:
“We tested AI Overviews carefully to ensure quality traffic flows out to original sources.”
🛡️ Meta’s Military Move: Silicon Valley and Defense
In a surprising twist at the same conference, Meta’s CTO, Andrew Bosworth, shared that the company is working with Anduril Industries, a defense tech firm.
Together, they’re building AI-powered military equipment, including AR/VR helmets.
“There’s a stronger patriotic sense in Silicon Valley than people think,” said Bosworth.
Here’s a FAQ section for the article, written in a clear, conversational style to match the easy-to-read tone:
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
📌 Why is Google still hiring engineers during the AI boom?
Google CEO Sundar Pichai believes that while AI is powerful, human engineers are still crucial for innovation. Hiring more engineers helps Google explore new opportunities created by AI advancements.
📌 How long will Google continue to hire engineers?
Pichai said that Google plans to expand its engineering team through at least 2026, even as the company integrates more AI into its operations.
📌 Is AI replacing engineers at Google?
Not at all. AI is being used to support engineers, mainly by automating repetitive tasks. However, Pichai emphasized that AI still has limitations and can’t fully replace human skills.
📌 What did Pichai say about Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)?
He responded cautiously, saying:
“Are we on an absolute path to AGI? I don’t think anyone can say for sure.”
This means AGI is still uncertain and far from guaranteed.
📌 How is Google handling concerns from publishers about AI-generated search results?
Pichai acknowledged the concerns and said Google is focused on keeping the internet ecosystem healthy. The company has tested its AI Overviews carefully to ensure that traffic still reaches the original websites.
📌 How is Google’s strategy different from Microsoft’s?
While Microsoft has cut jobs to control AI development costs, Google is restructuring teams and continuing to hire, especially in engineering roles.
📌 What role is Meta playing in defense tech?
Meta’s CTO, Andrew Bosworth, revealed that the company is working with Anduril Industries to build AI-powered military tools, such as AR/VR helmets. This reflects a growing trend of tech firms entering the defense space.