Quote of the day by Google CEO Sundar Pichai: AI is "more profound than electricity or fire" — a reminder of its role as a critical resource in the modern world

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Quote of the day by Google CEO Sundar Pichai: AI is "more profound than electricity or fire" — a reminder of its role as a critical resource in the modern world Opinion By Keumars Afifi-Sabet published 9 June 2026

With AI usage growing tremendously in recent years, we reflect on one of the most intriguing framings of this technology

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Google has been at the heart of the AI buildout for the best part of a decade; all modern generative AI technologies are based on its scientists' work in building out the transformer architecture in 2017. Sundar Pichai, who's been leading the company for more than 10 years, is all in on AI and its transformative potential for mankind.

"AI is probably the most important thing humanity has ever worked on. I think of it as something more profound than electricity or fire."— Google CEO Sundar Pichai, January 2018

Google's AI bullishness

Speaking at a town hall event in 2018 hosted by MSNBC, Pichai made the rather bold statement on the impact that AI can have on humankind at a time when the technology was incredibly embryonic.

Sure, plenty of early AI and AI-adjacent technologies were in deployment in startups and enterprises alike, ranging from machine learning to automation, but the extent of the Google chief's bullishness might have seemed hyperbolic at the time.

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This quote also followed similarly extreme statements, including an infamous quote from Elon Musk that AI is vastly more risky than North Korea, for instance.

While these technologies were actively shaping outcomes for businesses and consumers, this was all behind the scenes rather than front-and-center. Still, with Pichai enjoying a front row seat, his thoughts are not to be sniffed at.

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AI has ensnared the tech world

During the town hall, interviewer and then Record executive editor Kara Swisher countered: "Fire? Fire is pretty good." The Google CEO's implication is that AI will one day have an impact on our civilization that supercedes what we consider to be fundamental discoveries that shaped our trajectory as a species.

While it remains a matter of opinion, AI hasn't yet demonstrated this fundamental impact – despite year-over-year improvements. But you can't discount the possibility that the science will on day catch up with the tech industry's imagination.

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Most scientists agree that artificial general intelligence (AGI) is on the horizon – one day at least. If this hypothetical technology lives up to its widely hyped potential, Pichai's optimism may be vindicated after all.

TOPICS AI Google Keumars Afifi-SabetFreelance Contributor

Keumars Afifi-Sabet is a freelance contributor for Tech Radar and the Technology Editor for Live Science. He has written for a variety of publications including ITPro, The Week Digital and ComputerActive. He has worked as a technology journalist for more than five years, having previously held the role of features editor with ITPro. In his previous role, he oversaw the commissioning and publishing of long form in areas including AI, cyber security, cloud computing and digital transformation.

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