The emergence of ChatGPT in November 2022 changed Internet searches and forced Google, which has dominated the sector for fifteen years, to accelerate the integration of this tool, explained Kent Walker, Director of Global Affairs of the American giant, in an interview.
Question: ChatGPT was launched a year ago, what was the impact for Google?
Answer: If you’ve been using Google’s search engine, Maps, Google Translate or Gmail, you’ve been using artificial intelligence (AI) for a dozen years now. In the past year, AI has become more visible. The rise of these chatbots has accelerated our work and broadened popular acceptance of AI. But many of the new developments are based on articles we’ve published since 2012.
Q: However, internet users now prefer to use ChatGPT over Google’s search engine. Is this a threat?
A: Some of these new AI tools are not always as accurate as traditional search. They suffer from what is called a “hallucination”. That’s why we have to use our research expertise to base results on accurate information. And that’s why we are integrating AI into our search engine to get what we call a generative search experience, in order to have the best of both worlds.
Q: What do you think of the future law on AI in the European Union?
A: “We agree with the French, German and Italian governments that recently published a document saying that the law on AI should focus on a proportionate and risk-based response, looking at its specific uses. The stakes are very different in the banking, healthcare or transportation sectors. We refer to what we call a hub-and-spoke approach, where there is a center of expertise but where each regulatory agency must understand the potential and risks in its field. We look forward to partnering with governments to create a legal environment that promotes innovation and adoption by European companies. It was remarkable to see 150 leading European companies say they want flexible regulation.
Q: We are seeing attempts at censorship in countries such as China, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Iran. Do you think the Internet will survive as a global network?
A: Google’s founding mission was to make global information universally accessible. We are always working to achieve this goal, in a responsible way.
Q: But do you sometimes accept censorship?
A: We are working hard to minimize the impact on our services. In 2010, we ended up withdrawing our services from China because of the censorship regime. There is increasing pressure from governments around the world, and we recognize that we must comply with the laws of the countries where we operate. But we advocate greater access to information wherever possible. We hope that the vision of a free and open Internet will prevail. We can share ideas and discoveries in minutes; a generation ago, it would have taken months or years.