Alphabet is set to spend about $200 billion this year expanding its artificial intelligence capacity, with investment expected to rise further in 2027, Ruth Porat, the company’s president and chief investment officer, has said.
Speaking at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit in Santa Barbara, Ms Porat said Alphabet viewed the technology as a long-term opportunity rather than a short-lived boom. “We do see this as an opportunity that extends for quite some time,” she said.
Alphabet’s AI investment plans
Her comments underline the scale of spending by one of the leading companies in the global AI race as it builds the computing and energy infrastructure needed to support future development.
Ms Porat, who is ranked 11th on this year’s Fortune Most Powerful Women list, struck a cautious tone alongside her optimism. She said the debate should include the effect of AI on workers and communities, rather than focus solely on the technology’s potential.
She highlighted the need for investment in skilled trades and energy capacity, as well as greater public trust in AI. “If we don’t collectively fortify the downside risk (of AI), we will not have the opportunity to capture the upside,” she told the audience.
Ms Porat joined Google from Wall Street in 2015 and has been associated with bringing greater rigour, transparency and discipline to a business that has expanded beyond search and advertising into areas including robotics, autonomous vehicles, solar-powered drones and wearable technology.
Her remarks came as business leaders at the summit discussed how technological change could reshape employment. Separate analysis presented at the event said automation could account for more than half of US work hours by 2035, with office and administrative roles particularly exposed.
That report also identified the need for employers to help workers gain the skills required as their jobs change, reinforcing Ms Porat’s call for investment beyond the technology itself.
