Technology Revolutions

We're at the dawn of a new technological era. Here's why it's an unprecedented time for product innovation, and how to seize the moment.

I recently gave two keynote talks at Google about product innovation at Labs, but before diving into our process, I wanted to set the stage by talking about why this is such an incredibly exciting time to be building products. Because, frankly, it shapes a lot about how I think these days.

We're living through the start of a new technological revolution: the AI revolution. The classic definition of a tech revolution is a period of rapid, widespread adoption of new technologies that fundamentally changes society, the economy, and how we live and work. I'd add another qualifier: it results in at least a $1 trillion increase in global GDP. This is what arguably disqualifies crypto/blockchain and AR/VR from being true revolutions (at least so far).

But before we jump into AI, let's look back at recent history: the web, mobile, and cloud revolutions.

Here's a quick timeline of some key launches:

Web Revolution:

Mobile Revolution:

Cloud Revolution:

So, what can we learn from these past revolutions?

• Technology revolutions create an opportunity to solve existing problems in new ways and create new problems to solve.

• This results in new opportunities to improve existing products, and also a potential for entirely new types of products to be built.

• It is still very early days for Generative AI.

And yet, the pace of innovation is wild! It was tough to even choose which events to include in this AI timeline because there have been SO MANY:

AI Timeline:

Every day brings another headline. Model breakthroughs, new product launches – it's a whirlwind. But amid the chaos, there's one clear takeaway: this is an incredible time to build. And that "building" isn't just about chasing the latest technology; it's about rethinking how we build. At Google Labs, we're embracing a culture of rapid experimentation, constantly iterating on both product and market, and focusing on amplifying human creativity, not replacing it. To learn more about our unique approach, and to hear insights from VP Josh Woodward on everything from the shift away from text prompts to the potential of AI agents, check out the recent Training Data podcast episode.

This need to "unconstrain" ourselves and rethink core assumptions is crucial, as Microsoft's Satya Nadella emphasized in a recent Dwarkesh podcast. While he was discussing Microsoft's shift to the cloud, his advice – to be ready to "refound" ourselves – applies to everyone navigating the AI revolution, whether you're at a large corporation, a budding startup, or even just tinkering in your spare time.

As one of my favorite Sunday morning emails so aptly put it: "You can just do things." The AI revolution is empowering us to do just that – to build, to innovate, to create in ways we never thought possible. Are you ready to build?