I don't know, it seems to me that recently in I/O, discussions have primarily focused on mature core products, indicating a shift towards iteration rather than

I don't know, it seems to me that recently in I/O, discussions have primarily focused on mature core products, indicating a shift towards iteration rather than invention. I would say the conference definitely showcases less "new stuff" or "new stuff" of smaller scope. Both I/O and Google now seem to prioritize safe, low-risk technologies from a business standpoint. And that just doesn't fill up an entire conference without some business speak padding. To my mind, the turning point towards this new, less fun and more corporate Google and I/O was around 2013. I think that's when they started thinking about shaping the company into Alphabet with Google as a subsidiary as well. Famously they removed "don't be evil" as the motto and expanded into hardware a lot soon after 2013, too. It was a time of wholistic change at Google.