Global AI stakes raised with Google’s Gemini

But an opposing side of the AI debate worries about the technology eventually eclipsing human intelligence, resulting in the loss of millions of jobs and perhaps even more destructive behavior, such as amplifying misinformation or triggering the deployment of nuclear weapons.

“We’re approaching this work boldly and responsibly,” Google CEO Sundar Pichai wrote in a blog post. “That means being ambitious in our research and pursuing the capabilities that will bring enormous benefits to people and society, while building in safeguards and working collaboratively with governments and experts to address risks as AI becomes more capable.”

Gemini’s arrival is likely to up the ante in an AI competition that has been escalating for the past year, with San Francisco startup OpenAI and long-time industry rival Microsoft.

Backed by Microsoft’s financial muscle and computing power, OpenAI was already deep into developing its most advanced AI model, GPT-4, when it released the free ChatGPT tool late last year.

That AI-fueled chatbot rocketed to global fame, bringing buzz to the commercial promise of generative AI and pressuring Google to push out Bard in response.

Just as Bard was arriving, OpenAI released GPT-4 in March and has since been building in new capabilities aimed at consumers and business customers, including a feature unveiled in November that enables the chatbot to analyze images. It’s been competing for business against other rival AI startups such as Anthropic and even its partner, Microsoft, which has exclusive rights to OpenAI’s technology in exchange for the billions that it has poured into the startup.

The alliance so far has been a boon for Microsoft, which has seen its market value climb by more than 50% this year, primarily because of investors’ belief that AI will turn into a gold mine for the tech industry. Google’s corporate parent, Alphabet, also has been riding the same wave with its market value rising more than $500 billion, or about 45%, in 2023. Despite the anticipation surrounding Gemini, its launch barely budged Alphabet’s stock in Wednesday’s morning trading.

Microsoft’s deepening involvement in OpenAI during the past year, coupled with OpenAI’s more aggressive attempts to commercialize its products, has raised concerns that the nonprofit has strayed from its original mission to protect humanity as the technology progresses.