Everyone is focusing on Google's vulnerability in search, but they've been making tactical errors for years.
People are now calling for Sundar Pichai to step down.
They say Google needs a "wartime CEO"
Let's walk through one of the biggest mistakes in Google's history:
People are now calling for Sundar Pichai to step down.
They say Google needs a "wartime CEO"
Let's walk through one of the biggest mistakes in Google's history:
It was 2017, and Sundar had only been CEO for 2 years, but things were going pretty well.
The stock had nearly doubled under his tenure, and it looked like nothing could slow Google down.
Search was completely dominant, but Google Cloud was far behind AWS and Microsoft Azure.
The stock had nearly doubled under his tenure, and it looked like nothing could slow Google down.
Search was completely dominant, but Google Cloud was far behind AWS and Microsoft Azure.
So the team at Google Cloud Platform (GCP) get an idea.
They'll go sell the U.S. government and get them to start hosting applications on Google's Cloud.
It will be hard work, but if they can secure government data, it will prove that they are truly a top tier cloud provider.
They'll go sell the U.S. government and get them to start hosting applications on Google's Cloud.
It will be hard work, but if they can secure government data, it will prove that they are truly a top tier cloud provider.
And in 2017, the U.S. Government was looking for help with cloud computing!
More specifically, the Department of Defense needed help using artificial intelligence to speed up the tagging of drone footage.
Google's TensorFlow API (hosted on GCP) was a natural choice.
More specifically, the Department of Defense needed help using artificial intelligence to speed up the tagging of drone footage.
Google's TensorFlow API (hosted on GCP) was a natural choice.
Labeling images had become so cumbersome that fully 1/3rd of U.S. Air Force personnel would need to watch video feeds 24/7, if they didn't start using AI.
So the DoD created a plan to start working with tech companies, they called it: Project Maven
So the DoD created a plan to start working with tech companies, they called it: Project Maven
And Google won a contract! The plan was simple:
- Load drone footage into Google Cloud.
- Train a TensorFlow model to tag images.
- Use that model to tag new images going forward.
The AI wouldn't be making any decisions or flying the drone. It was just a data cleanup project.
- Load drone footage into Google Cloud.
- Train a TensorFlow model to tag images.
- Use that model to tag new images going forward.
The AI wouldn't be making any decisions or flying the drone. It was just a data cleanup project.
This was a huge win for Google. They got higher-level security clearances and proved that Google Cloud was good enough for the U.S. Military.
But then things took a turn for the worse...
Google employees starting protesting the project. Thousands signed this petition:
But then things took a turn for the worse...
Google employees starting protesting the project. Thousands signed this petition:
This was a big surprise.
Project Maven was created to help defeat ISIS. If ever there was an opportunity for Google to fulfill it's mission of "don't be evil" this was it.
But for some reason, Google backed down.
They pulled out of Project Maven.
Project Maven was created to help defeat ISIS. If ever there was an opportunity for Google to fulfill it's mission of "don't be evil" this was it.
But for some reason, Google backed down.
They pulled out of Project Maven.
This had serious knock-on effects.
Project Maven was a small cloud contract by Google standards, but if it went well, there was a bigger $10B contract on the table to host much more of the military's cloud services.
But Maven's failure made this impossible.
Project Maven was a small cloud contract by Google standards, but if it went well, there was a bigger $10B contract on the table to host much more of the military's cloud services.
But Maven's failure made this impossible.
This was a big setback, but fortunately, things are starting to turn around.
Now that the dust has settled, Google is starting to work with the U.S. Military again!
Now that the dust has settled, Google is starting to work with the U.S. Military again!
This thread really only scratches the surface though...
If you'd like to know the full story of Project Maven, just watch my full deep dive on YouTube here:
youtu.be
If you'd like to know the full story of Project Maven, just watch my full deep dive on YouTube here:
youtu.be
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