This urgency was driven by declining stock prices and growing pressure from investors, leading to mass layoffs of 12,000 employees in early 2023, which heightened competition within the company.

Despite rushing to launch Bard in February 2023 to counter Microsoft's integration of ChatGPT into Bing, the launch was marred by an embarrassing factual error that caused a significant drop in Alphabet's stock value.

In response, Google executives adopted a more startup-like approach to innovation, tasking Sissie Hsiao with developing a ChatGPT competitor, codenamed Bard, within a tight 100-day timeline.

Following the mixed reception of Bard, Google began developing a new AI language model named Gemini, merging resources from its separate AI research teams, DeepMind and Google Brain.

Launched in late 2023, Gemini outperformed ChatGPT in multiple tests, marking a potential turnaround for Google in the AI landscape.

In late 2022, Google faced a significant challenge when OpenAI launched ChatGPT, raising fears that it could replace Google Search, the company's core revenue generator.

Bard faced significant challenges, including making embarrassing errors and providing dangerous advice through Google's AI search feature, which led to ongoing scrutiny.

Gemini is being integrated across Google's services, including Gmail and Google Maps, with ongoing developments in agentic AI capabilities that allow for personalized interactions.

However, the introduction of Gemini has not been without controversy, as its AI-generated image tool produced politically charged content, prompting calls for better oversight.

Additionally, Gemini encountered challenges when its image generator produced historically inaccurate images, leading Google to pause the feature for corrections.

Despite these setbacks, Google maintains a competitive edge, with CEO Sundar Pichai expressing confidence in the company's AI leadership and announcing a planned investment of $75 billion in capital expenditures for 2024.

Concerns persist internally about the sustainability of Google's rapid AI development pace and whether this represents a genuine second chance or a new set of challenges.