Microsoft has recently drawn public attention to Google’s dominance in generative artificial intelligence, saying that the tech giant’s vast data repository and AI-optimized hardware are the key factors allowing it to dominate the field.
Scientific discovery, artificial intelligence – conceptual artistic interpretation. Image generated with DALL·E 3
This assertion points to the intense competition between the two industry behemoths.
Microsoft’s response came under a request for comment from the EU antitrust regulators regarding the level of competition in generative AI. The consultation initiated by the European Commission in January sought insights into the competitive dynamics of generative AI, a field witnessing rapid growth driven by technologies like Microsoft-backed OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s chatbot Gemini.
In its report to the Commission, Microsoft highlighted Google’s unique position as the sole vertically integrated company, providing it with autonomy and strength across all AI layers, from specialized chips to a thriving mobile app store.
Microsoft emphasized that other companies must rely on partnerships to innovate and compete, unlike Google.
Microsoft also clearly emphasized Google’s proprietary AI semiconductors, which are expected to offer this company a lasting competitive advantage, along with its extensive repositories of exclusive data sourced from Google Search Index and YouTube.
Next, Microsoft pointed out that Google’s unparalleled access to vast video content, estimated at 14 billion videos hosted on YouTube, provides a significant competitive advantage in training its large language model Gemini, a resource unavailable to other AI developers.
In essence, Microsoft’s observations uncover the fact that data and hardware infrastructure in shaping the competitive environment of generative AI. In this regard, Google is positioned as a formidable player with a distinct advantage poised to influence the future trajectory of the industry.
Written by Vytautas Valinskas