Generative artificial intelligence, which took the tech world by storm with innovations like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, is now entering a phase of incremental progress, according to Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Speaking at the New York Times’ DealBook Summit, Pichai acknowledged that the rapid advancements seen in the past two years are unlikely to be replicated in the near term.
“The low-hanging fruit is gone,” Pichai stated, signaling that future breakthroughs will require deeper, more complex innovations. As AI models such as Google’s Gemini, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, and Meta’s Llama improve, their advancements will primarily focus on refining reasoning capabilities and reliably completing complex sequences of actions. These incremental enhancements could unlock greater utility for businesses, although the technology has yet to generate substantial profits despite massive investments.
According to a Goldman Sachs report, AI investments are expected to exceed $1 trillion in the coming years. However, a transformative leap that reshapes societal perceptions of AI is unlikely by 2025, Pichai noted. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella echoed this sentiment, likening AI’s development trajectory to the Industrial Revolution, which saw sporadic bursts of innovation over decades.
In contrast, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman remains optimistic, countering claims of stagnation by asserting that there are no inherent barriers to progress. Still, even incremental advancements can significantly impact the industry. As AI becomes more refined, its applications could broaden, making it accessible to a larger audience and creating new job opportunities.
Notably, AI trainers and prompt engineers earn average salaries of over $64,000 and $110,000 per year, respectively, according to ZipRecruiter. Looking ahead, Pichai envisions a future where AI democratizes computer programming, potentially making it accessible to millions more people within the next decade.
While the pace of development may have slowed, AI continues to evolve, promising incremental but meaningful transformations across industries.
