- Sundar Pichai called AI the biggest platform shift of our lifetime at the India AI Impact Summit
- He emphasised AI's potential to solve complex issues like healthcare and climate responsibly
- Pichai warned against an AI divide and urged governments to create fair access policies
Delivering an optimistic yet cautious key address at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai offered a measured tone, calling artificial intelligence "the biggest platform shift of our lifetime".
Pichai stated that AI holds the power to tackle some of the world's toughest and most complex challenges, ranging from healthcare to climate. However, he pointed out that the global ecosystem should build the technology responsibly.
The Alphabet top boss went on to issue a strong caution regarding equitable access, warning that the current divide must not morph into "AI divide". In order to prevent the benefits of AI from being unevenly distributed, he urged governments to take a proactive role.
He issued a strong caution regarding equitable access, warning that the current digital divide must not morph into an “AI divide.” To prevent the benefits of artificial intelligence from being unevenly distributed, Pichai urged governments to take a proactive role in shaping policies, guardrails, and access frameworks around AI adoption.
Reflecting on the nation's rapid technological integration, Pichai admitted he was "struck by the pace of change in India." He added that this evolution presents an unprecedented opportunity, stating that the technology "can improve lives at once on a generation scale and can improve billions of lives with AI."
To support this digital growth, the CEO detailed major physical infrastructure commitments. Pichai announced that Alphabet is "building 4 new systems between the US and India to be part of the subsea initiative" that will ensure robust, high-speed global connectivity. Geographically diversifying this technological expansion, he highlighted that "Vishakhapatnam is becoming a hub for AI."
Grounding his optimism in practical applications, Pichai pointed to active, localised initiatives like "Google helping Indian farmers to gauge weather" to protect their livelihoods.
He explained that this kind of grounded "progress shows what's possible when we dream big." Ultimately, Pichai concluded that the global technology sector "must pursue AI boldly & responsibly" to guarantee these benefits reach all levels of society.
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