Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai confirmed during the company’s Q1 earnings call on April 24 that more than 30% of the new code at Google is now generated by artificial intelligence. Critics argue that this figure, up from 25% in October, shows that AI is moving too fast and may upend core elements of human decision-making, labor, and intellectual autonomy.
Pichai said using AI in software development is “transformative in nature,” but reiterated that the journey is still in its early stages. “It still feels like early days and long ways to go,” he reckoned.
Several tech firms, like Microsoft and Meta, have ramped up their AI usage in operations. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella revealed at Meta’s LlamaCon conference on Tuesday that between 20% and 30% of code written at Microsoft now originates from AI tools. However, in terms of programming, it was not consistent.
“AI is fantastic at generating Python code,” Nadella continued, “but its C++ capabilities are not that great.”
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, speaking at the same event, said he was unsure about the exact figure of AI-written code at Meta. Still, he predicted that the company would rely on AI for at least half of its software development within the next year and “will kind of increase from there.”
Executives push for AI efficiency, human roles demand tanks
The automation trend has led some corporate leaders to reevaluate staffing. In April, Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke told employees they must now prove AI can’t do a particular job before requesting additional headcount.
Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn also announced that the language-learning platform will gradually replace human contractors with AI tools to handle content generation and review.
OpenAI is reportedly in talks to acquire Windsurf, a startup that offers “vibe coding” software capable of creating entire programs from just a few words of instruction.
The fast-paced changes have made industry observers and users worried about the quality of services AI models can offer. One user on X sarcastically commented on Google’s AI strategy, writing, “That’s why airplanes are falling down. Euro blackouts. What a smart move Google is making to sell the stock. What can go wrong, right?”
Cognitive atrophy and overreliance
According to Kunal Shah, founder of Indian fintech firm CRED, the youth are becoming “heavily dependent” on AI even for the silliest decisions. “If people outsource their thinking to AI, their brain may atrophy,” he wrote on X.
Totally agree with this!
We’re now asking AI even which movie to watch or what food to order—basic things we enjoyed deciding ourselves.
It’s fine to use technology, but if we stop trusting our own instincts, eventually we’ll struggle to think independently.
Our brains grow…
— CA Tapan Doshi (SEBI Registered RA) (@tapydoshi) April 1, 2025
Another critic gave their account on using AI, claiming that even highly educated individuals have been misled by AI-generated content. “I know an Oxford STEM graduate working in medical research who just learnt that ChatGPT straight-up invented the academic references she was sharing. I’m just aware that it’s shit! It churns out shit!” the critic asserted.
Google is hopeful of Gemini AI-Apple deal success in mid-2025
In other news, CEO Pichai testified that Google is in talks with Apple about integrating its Gemini AI into future iPhones during an antitrust trial in Washington last week. If finalized, the deal would see Gemini included in “Apple Intelligence,” the company’s upcoming AI-powered features.
However, this potential partnership is shadowed by an antitrust case brought by the US Department of Justice and a coalition of state attorneys general. The government is asking the DOJ to force Google to sell its Chrome web browser, ban it from paying to be the default search engine, and mandate the sharing of its search data with competitors.
Last August, Judge Amit Mehta ruled in the DOJ antitrust trial that Google maintained a search monopoly partly by paying billions to phone makers and wireless carriers.
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