Quick thoughts: Google I/O, Jaya Tiasa Q325 Result

Register for the next community meetup in June 2025! Sam Altman views Google as OpenAI's top AI competitor. Our view on Google's I/O 2025 that showcased AI Search enhancements, Veo 3 video, Gemini Live and Android XR. Separately, Jaya Tiasa announced Q325 result with nearly debt-free with strong cash holdings, and our view on its new venture.

1. Google stands firm against ChatGPT’s AI threat 

In Berkshire Hathaway 2025 shareholder meeting, Warren Buffett said:

“…I will give you one tip. I found that when I was very young, I would drive around to various companies all over the country. Because I was very young and these were offbeat companies, they didn’t have investor relations departments then, almost every CEO would see me because they figured they’d never see me again. And they weren’t getting calls like that.

I would ask them two questions…if they were to be stuck on a desert island and they had to own only one of their competitors’ stock during the 10 years they were going to be on that island, which one would it be, and why? And then after they give you that answer, you ask the same thing if they were to short one of their competitors’ stock, which would it be and why?

…I probably learned more about various industries by just making sure that they didn’t think I’d stay too long and that in the meantime they would have the floor and talk about their competitors…”

Warren Buffett, 2025 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder’s Meeting

The fastest way to understand an industry is to ask the CEO of a business who is their biggest competitor. So now that the AI race has restarted, with reasons mentioned in “Our AI future: You better be prepared” article, the fastest way to understand who is the strongest in the industry is to see what CEO says about their competitors.

(i) Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT on Google’s Strength in AI

Sam Altman of OpenAI

OpenAI (the company behind ChatGPT) was founded by Sam Altman in 2025, foreseeing/fearing Google will be the first to reach Artificial General Intelligence. Sam Altman then wrote this e-mail to Elon Musk:

On May 25, 2015, at 9:10 PM:

Been thinking a lot about whether it's possible to stop humanity from developing AI.

I think the answer is almost definitely not.

If it's going to happen anyway, it seems like it would be good for someone other than Google to do it first.

Any thoughts on whether it would be good for YC to start a Manhattan Project for AI? My sense is we could get many of the top ~50 to work on it, and we could structure it so that the tech belongs to the world via some sort of nonprofit but the people working on it get startup-like compensation if it works. Obviously we'd comply with/aggressively support all regulation.

Sam Altman’s e-mail to Elon Musk to start OpenAI

Google acquired DeepMind in 2014

Sam Altman and Elon Musk think that Google will achieve Artificial General Intelligence first because in 2014, Google acquired the best AI company in the world at that time, DeepMind for $500 million. Elon Musk also submitted a bid to acquire DeepMind, but lost to Google.

Since then, Sam Altman’s goal is to catch up with Google on AI, even the underlying technology behind ChatGPT came from Google. Since the introduction of ChatGPT 3.5, Sam Altman successfully pushed OpenAI to stand on the competing ground with Google, overtaking Google as the leader in AI.

Even so, Sam Altman still recognise Google as their biggest competitor, because Google’s progress in AI is held back by its search engine business model and Google’s laid back culture. Google’s AI infrastructure is still the best in the industry.

US Senator Ted Cruz shake hand with Sam Altman in the committee hearing titled “Winning the AI Race: Strengthening U.S. Capabilities in Computing and Innovation”

On 8 May 2025, Sam Altman was asked this question by the US Senator Ted Cruz:

Q: (Ted Cruz) Will chat GPT replace Google as the primary search engine? And if so when?

A: (Sam Altman) Probably not. I mean, I think some use cases that people use search engines for today are definitely better done on a service like ChatGPT, but Google is like a ferocious competitor. They have a very strong AI team, a lot of infrastructure, a very well-protected business, and they're making great progress putting AI into their search.

Full committee hearing titled “Winning the AI Race: Strengthening U.S. Capabilities in Computing and Innovation” to discuss the removal of regulatory barriers on the AI supply chain to accelerate innovation and secure U.S. dominance in AI

Sam Altman said that ChatGPT cannot win over Google as the primary search engine. His goal for ChatGPT is to win in the next AI paradigm, not the current Internet paradigm where Google is king.

Nevertheless, Sam Altman perfectly summarised Google’s 4 key advantages in AI:

  1. Strong AI team;

  2. A lot of AI infrastructure;

  3. Well-protected business; and

  4. Good progress incorporating AI into Google Search.

(ii) Google’s AI products as announced in Google I/O 2025 

Google showcased many new AI technology advancements in its Google I/O 2025, highlighting a few with great potential:

1. Enhanced AI Overviews with visualisation in Search results

Visualisation of data with AI Overview for Google Search

The biggest update that normal day-to-day users will notice is the enhancement of AI Overview by adopting visualisation of data when you Google Search. This means that Google will use AI to generate a chart/table/graph to show you result.

It’s also important to highlight that AI Overview is the current most used AI product (with 1.5 billion users) and it is reportedly monetising at the same rate as normal search results.

2. AI Mode incorporated into Google Search

Google AI Mode with chatbot stylel interface

Google launched AI Mode in the US (and soon to the rest of the world). This AI Mode is AI chatbot style where you can get longer AI generated answers, powered by Gemini 2.5.

Although this is not mentioned, but AI Mode most likely will serve as a funnel to push Google users to Google Gemini.

The reason Google did not all in on pushing Google Gemini to users is because they dont want it to cannibalise their main Google Search product. Only users that are interested in AI chatbot will be redirected to Google Gemini, so this AI Mode will serve this function.

3. Veo 3 AI Video Generation Tool

Google Veo 3 is the most eye-opening for most people, because this AI video generation tool can generate video, audio and background music. People are surprised/scared by how good it is.

We tried Veo 3 demo ourselves because we have Google Gemini subscription. It is great, but not as great as advertised. But bear in mind, this is the worst it will ever be.

Having said that, I doubt this product will take-off. Google has a bad track record in turning technology into properly functioned products, the only time they successfully scale a product is Google Search, and nothing else.

4. Gemini Live + Android XR

Demo of Android XR Glass

Google officially entered the AI glass scene by launching Android XR, the software for smart glasses. And they partnered with Samsung and Gentle Monster. This collaboration is epic, and most likely will lead to success.

Gemini Live with camera function

Gemini Live is AI camera that can look at the world and talk to you in real time. We tried this function in our Google Gemini subscription, it is amazing. So many use cases, especially on tutorial, translation, gamification of the world etc.

Imagine a smart glass with Gemini Live built in, that can see what you see, and react to you in real time. The future is limitless.

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