Google has gone into code red readiness for fears that AI services like ChatGPT could have a catastrophic impact on the company’s core business.

Google sees the rampant popularity of AI tools like ChatGPT as possibly the biggest threat we’ve seen in a long time to their Search feature.

CEO Sundar Pichai has reportedly paused the work of several internal groups so that they have to deal with this problem instead. Google’s own chatbot could become a competitor to rivals like ChatGPT, but it could also completely kill off the company’s advertising business.

Can Ai Tools Smash Google’s Business Model?

The sudden popularity of AI tools like ChatGPT and Dall-E is prompting Google to do everything it can to protect the company’s future. The search giant fears that this could be the beginning of something that could eventually outperform their business model.

According to a recent article in the New York Times, Google’s bosses see ChatGPT as a major threat to the company’s Search. It seems to be so critical that management is said to have alerted about “code red”. CEO Sundar Pichai is also reported to have ordered more teams away from their usual project to focus instead on building AI products.

Despite Major Problems, Industry Can Be Turned Upside Down

Google’s concerns about ChatGPT stem from the tool’s ability to offer information from a simple task description. Its strengths lie in the ability to provide answers and make suggestions instead of just a list. However, the tool is experimental and far from perfect, as it quite often delivers false or problematic information.

Despite these problems, the tool has shown that it has the potential to turn the entire industry upside down. Google isn’t going to just sit and wait for that.

Google’s Own Ai Service Could Also Smash Google

As the New York Times points out, Google already has a chatbot that can compete with ChatGPT. It’s called Language Model for Dialogue Applications (LaMDA). You may have already heard of it earlier this year when it made headlines, following a former employee’s claims that the bot can feel things.

The only problem with completing LaMDA and launching the tool, as the New York Times mentions, is the concern that the bot could also destroy Google’s search ad model. If users get good answers that give them just the information they need, there’s less reason to click on ad links.