The Electricity: Why Google may be trying to make intelligence disappear

25 days ago

Google's foundational AI paper 'Attention Is All You Need' introduced the transformer architecture that underpins modern AI models like ChatGPT.
Despite nearly being disrupted by its own technology, Google continues to openly share AI research and models, such as Gemma, rather than locking them down.
Google's strategy is not to win the 'smartest model' race but to integrate AI as ubiquitous infrastructure, like electricity, across its products and platforms.
By embedding AI (e.g., Gemini Nano) on-device in Android, Google shifts compute costs to users' devices, reducing its own operational expenses.
Google dominates key digital access points: Search, Android, Chrome, and Workspace, ensuring AI touches users through existing Google-controlled channels.
Google is investing in physical infrastructure, like power companies and grid projects, to support its data centers and long-term AI energy needs.
A potential risk to Google's strategy is the rising cost of memory due to AI demand, which could increase phone prices and affect its on-device AI plans.
The goal is for AI to become invisible—users won't recall specific models, as AI seamlessly integrates into daily tools and environments.

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