Google CEO Sundar Pichai addressed world leaders gathered at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, February 19, 2026.
In his speech, Pichai said he was struck by the pace of change in India, reminiscing about his early days as a student and when Vishkhapatnam-Vizag, was a quiet and modest coastal town, brimming with potential.
“Now, in that same city, Google is establishing a full-stack AI hub, part of our $15 billion infrastructure investment in India. When finished, this hub will house gigawatt-scale compute and a new international subsea cable gateway, bringing jobs and the benefits of cutting-edge AI to people and businesses across India,” Pichai said.
He also spoke of taking his mother and his octogenarian father on a self-driving car ride in San Francisco made him see progress “in a whole new light.”
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“Of course he said he’d be more impressed if it worked on India’s busy roads — still working on that one, Dad,” Pichai quipped.
“This progress shows what’s possible when humanity dreams big. And no technology has me dreaming bigger than AI. It is the biggest platform shift of our lifetimes,” Pichai contended, adding, “We are on the cusp of hyperprogress and new discoveries that can help emerging economies leapfrog legacy gaps.”
But that outcome is neither guaranteed nor automatic, Pichai warned. “To build AI that is truly helpful for everyone, we must pursue it boldly, approach it responsibly and work through this defining moment together.”
Building AI requires people to “Act Bold” the Google CEO said, “Because AI can improve billions of lives and solve some of the hardest problems in science.” He gave as an example, drug discoveries like predicting protein structures using AI, as his company did through Google DeepMind, leading to AlphaFold, a breakthrough that won a Nobel Prize, compressing decades of reseach into a database that is now open to the world. “Today, over three million researchers in more than 190 countries are using it to develop malaria vaccines, fight antibiotic resistance and much more,” he said, citing other followup advances.
The bold action must be used to tackle hitherto challenging problems like in El Salvador where Google and the government are bringing affordable healthcare to thousands.
“Or in India, where our work together is helping farmers protect their livelihoods in the face of monsoons. Last summer, for the first time, the Indian government sent AI-powered forecasts to millions of farmers, possible in part because of our Neural GCM model,” Pichai said.
As with other speakers, Pichai also emphasized being responsible about how to use AI.
“Technology brings incredible benefits, but we must ensure everyone has access to them. We cannot allow the digital divide to become an AI divide. That means investing in compute infrastructure and connectivity,” he said, adding, “We are also building a vast network of subsea fiber optic cables, including four new systems between the U.S. and India., as part of our America-India Connect Initiative.”
Responsibility also means navigating profound economic shifts, because AI will undeniably reshape the workforce — automating some roles, evolving others and creating entirely new careers.
“Twenty years ago, the concept of a professional “YouTube Creator” didn’t exist; today, there are upwards of 60 million around the world,” he pointed out.
Training is also crucial he emphasized. As are tools to verify the authenticity of the content people read and see.
“But no matter how bold we are, or how responsible, we won’t realize AI’s full benefits unless we work together,” and that includes Governments, regulators, innovators, tech companies, etc.
“We have the opportunity to improve lives at a once-in-generation scale,” he said, adding, “I know we have the capability to do this. And looking at the leaders here today, I believe we also have the will.”