Sundar Pichai Rejects Claims Google Is Losing AI Race, Says Gemini 4 Will Be a Major Leap

Google CEO Sundar Pichai has dismissed claims that the company is falling behind competitors in the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence (AI) race, saying the next-generation Gemini 4 model will significantly strengthen Google's position.

Speaking during Alphabet's latest earnings call, Pichai acknowledged that Google has room for improvement in certain AI capabilities, particularly coding and agentic AI, but expressed confidence that upcoming advancements will help the company remain among the industry's leading AI developers.

Pichai: Gemini 4 Will Be "Very Ambitious"

Addressing investors, Pichai described Gemini 4 as a highly ambitious project designed to compete with the most advanced AI systems.

According to him, the upcoming model is substantially larger than previous Gemini versions, allowing it to deliver stronger performance across a wider range of AI tasks.

While he did not disclose technical specifications or a launch date, Pichai said users would be pleased with the improvements once the model becomes available.

Google Acknowledges Areas Where It Must Improve

During the discussion, Pichai accepted that Google is still working to improve performance in areas such as:

• AI-assisted coding
• Agentic AI capabilities
• Advanced reasoning tasks

These capabilities have become increasingly important as businesses adopt AI tools for software development, automation and enterprise workflows.

However, he maintained that Google continues to lead in several other aspects of AI research and development.

Focus Shifts to Gemini Flash Models

Alongside its flagship AI efforts, Google has also been expanding its Gemini Flash family of models, which are designed for faster and more cost-efficient deployment.

According to the company, recent updates include:

• Gemini 3.6 Flash, featuring improved coding performance.
• Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite, designed for lightweight AI applications.
• A cybersecurity-focused Flash Cyber model aimed at enterprise security use cases.

Google said these models are being deployed across areas such as customer support, cybersecurity, data analytics and enterprise software.

Gemini User Base Continues to Grow

Despite increasing competition in the AI industry, Google reported strong growth in Gemini adoption.

According to Alphabet:

• Gemini now has 950 million monthly active users, up from 750 million in late 2025.

The company said AI-powered features are being integrated across multiple Google products and services, contributing to broader user adoption.

Strong Financial Performance

Alphabet also reported robust financial results during the latest quarter.

According to the company:

• Revenue increased to $119.8 billion.
• Net profit rose to $112.1 billion.
• Google Services generated $94.5 billion in revenue.
• Google Cloud revenue reached $24.8 billion, driven by growing demand for AI infrastructure and enterprise AI solutions.
• The company's cloud backlog expanded to $514 billion.

The figures reflect continued investment in AI technologies despite intense competition within the sector.

Competition in the AI Market

Google continues to compete with major AI developers offering increasingly capable large language models and AI coding tools.

The company says its long-term strategy extends beyond individual models and includes investments in:

• AI infrastructure
• Cloud computing
• Custom AI chips
• Enterprise AI services
• Consumer AI products integrated into Google platforms

Pichai said these investments position Google to remain competitive as AI technology continues to evolve.

Key Highlights

• Sundar Pichai says Google is not falling behind in the AI race.
• He described Gemini 4 as a major advancement over previous models.
• Google acknowledged that coding and agentic AI remain areas for improvement.
• Gemini now has 950 million monthly active users.
• Alphabet reported strong quarterly revenue and profit growth.
• Google continues investing heavily in AI infrastructure, cloud computing and enterprise AI solutions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What did Sundar Pichai say about Google's AI position?

He said Google is not falling behind competitors and remains confident about its long-term leadership in artificial intelligence.

What is Gemini 4?

Gemini 4 is Google's upcoming flagship AI model, which Pichai described as a major improvement over earlier Gemini versions.

Did Google admit weaknesses in AI?

Yes. Pichai acknowledged that coding and agentic AI are areas where the company continues to improve.

How many users does Gemini have?

According to Alphabet, Gemini has 950 million monthly active users.

What are Gemini Flash models?

Gemini Flash models are Google's faster and more cost-efficient AI systems designed for enterprise applications, cybersecurity and customer support.

How did Alphabet perform financially?

The company reported higher revenue, profit and cloud growth, driven largely by increased adoption of AI-powered services.