Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Thursday described artificial intelligence (AI) as ushering in an era of "hyper progress", with the potential to unlock new scientific discoveries and help emerging economies bypass traditional development stages. "It is the biggest platform shift of our lifetimes, we are on the cusp of hyper progress and new discoveries that can help emerging economies leapfrog legacy gaps. We cannot allow the digital divide to become an AI divide. "We cannot allow the digital divide to become an AI divide," he said, stressing the importance of expanding compute infrastructure and connectivity globally. He added that Google has trained 100 million people in digital skills and launched a Google AI Professional Certificate to help workers adapt to AI-driven changes.

Source: The Telegraph February 19, 2026 05:16 UTC