Google plans for a 'high-stake' 2025 betting on major Gemini push

Google is gearing up for an even bigger AI push in 2025, with the spotlight fixed firmly on its Gemini LLM. At a recent internal strategy meeting — complete with festive holiday sweaters — CEO Sundar Pichai and other top Google leaders left no doubt that Gemini will be the star of the show heading into the new year, following a 2024 already dominated by Gemini-related announcements. (h/t: CNBC)

During the December gathering at Google’s Mountain View headquarters, Pichai told staff that “the stakes are high” as the company navigates increasing competition, especially in AI. Gemini is slated to continue its rapid expansion into 2025, with the ultimate goal of becoming the 16th Google product to reach 500 million monthly users.

Pichai emphasized the urgency to “move faster as a company,” stressing that these “disruptive moments” require Google to stay laser-focused on AI growth. He pointed out that while Google doesn’t always have to be the first to market, its products must be “best in class” once they arrive.

DeepMind co-founder Demis Hassabis, who also spoke at the meeting, said Gemini will “evolve massively” over the next year or two, hinting at major updates that could reshape the way people interact with AI. Hassabis described his vision of a universal AI assistant that can work across various devices, handle different modalities (like text, speech, and images), and tackle problems in almost any domain.

Google already boasts 15 apps with more than 500 million monthly users — think Gmail, YouTube, and Maps. Executives believe Gemini could soon join this exclusive club, but the race is tighter now than in the past. Rival systems, particularly OpenAI’s ChatGPT, have captured the public’s imagination, triggering internal questions about whether Google’s AI efforts risk getting overshadowed. One employee question read aloud by Pichai even referenced ChatGPT becoming “synonymous with AI,” similar to how Google is synonymous with search.

Pichai and Hassabis, however, remain confident that Gemini can match and surpass the competition by delivering a richer, more integrated experience that leverages the breadth of Google’s platforms. “We’re going to turbocharge the Gemini app,” Hassabis said, highlighting the momentum that’s built up over the last several months.

While Google’s AI progress is accelerating, the company is also under unprecedented scrutiny from regulators around the globe. US courts have weighed in on the company’s alleged monopolies in search and online advertising, and the UK competition watchdog has also flagged concerns over Google’s ad tech business. Acknowledging these challenges, Pichai told employees, “It’s not lost on me that we are facing scrutiny across the world.”

Despite these hurdles, Google leaders argued that the best way to navigate the turbulence is to stay focused on delivering breakthrough technologies and applying them responsibly. Pichai said the company must continue to “solve real user problems” with AI rather than get sidetracked by regulatory pressures or competitive noise.

One of the more pressing questions from employees was about the cost of AI tools. Some worried that scaling Gemini might lead to expensive subscription tiers similar to those of other AI products on the market. Hassabis responded that, for now, there’s no plan to charge anything close to “$200 a month.”

It’s evident that Google’s next 12 months look to be all about scaling its AI ambitions on the consumer side. If everything goes according to Google’s plan, 2025 could be the year Gemini cements its position as a household name in AI.