4 ms·

Google is an AI company.

vowelless 12y ago
Isnt it more accurate to categorize a company based on where they get revenue? If so, then Google is mostly an ad company.
- circuitslave 12y ago
  Couldn't you say they were a big data company as well? It seems that all that consumer data is what makes them such an effective ad company.
  - ocdtrekkie 12y ago
    Yeah, but Google did a huge marketing push that they're an "AI company" recently because that sounds a lot more scifi than the reality that Google's primary revenue stream isn't that different from a company that does cold calls. Marketing isn't exactly appealing to consumers. ;)
  - th0br0 12y ago
    But the big data is essentially just the knowledge base for the AI.
  - spacemanmatt 12y ago
    I would say their goal to sort and organize the world's data is right in line with their existence as an AI company. You're not wrong at all that they make tons of money in ads, but then that is also significantly understating the role of communication and Google's role in communication these days.
- cryptoz 12y ago
  But why is Google successful at selling ads? It's because they're best-in-class with AI techniques. Google's revenue is from ads. Google's technology/core competency is AI. Classifying companies is hard, and it doesn't really make sense to try to fit your worldview into "X is Y, A is B". Sometimes X and Y are both A and B.
- TeMPOraL 12y ago
  That makes sense only if you view companies as abstract money generating entities stable over time. In case of Google, it matters more what's their primary competence (information technology) and goals (information technology, solutions to big problems).
commandar 12y ago
Exactly. Being an AI company is what's pushing them toward the automobile industry. It's easier for Google to get into manufacturing cars than it is for the traditional automobile makers to develop a competency in AI on Google's level. It's actually not that different than what's been happening with mobile. Google has gotten better at e.g., UI design faster than Apple has been able to replicate Google's competency with the cloud. The things Google is good at are generally harder problems than the things that they're weaker in. AI is the most important of these.

Isnt it more accurate to categorize a company based on where they get revenue? If so, then Google is mostly an ad company.

circuitslave 12y ago
Couldn't you say they were a big data company as well? It seems that all that consumer data is what makes them such an effective ad company.
- ocdtrekkie 12y ago
  Yeah, but Google did a huge marketing push that they're an "AI company" recently because that sounds a lot more scifi than the reality that Google's primary revenue stream isn't that different from a company that does cold calls. Marketing isn't exactly appealing to consumers. ;)
- th0br0 12y ago
  But the big data is essentially just the knowledge base for the AI.
- spacemanmatt 12y ago
  I would say their goal to sort and organize the world's data is right in line with their existence as an AI company. You're not wrong at all that they make tons of money in ads, but then that is also significantly understating the role of communication and Google's role in communication these days.
cryptoz 12y ago
But why is Google successful at selling ads? It's because they're best-in-class with AI techniques. Google's revenue is from ads. Google's technology/core competency is AI. Classifying companies is hard, and it doesn't really make sense to try to fit your worldview into "X is Y, A is B". Sometimes X and Y are both A and B.
TeMPOraL 12y ago
That makes sense only if you view companies as abstract money generating entities stable over time. In case of Google, it matters more what's their primary competence (information technology) and goals (information technology, solutions to big problems).

commandar 12y ago

Exactly. Being an AI company is what's pushing them toward the automobile industry. It's easier for Google to get into manufacturing cars than it is for the traditional automobile makers to develop a competency in AI on Google's level. It's actually not that different than what's been happening with mobile. Google has gotten better at e.g., UI design faster than Apple has been able to replicate Google's competency with the cloud. The things Google is good at are generally harder problems than the things that they're weaker in. AI is the most important of these.