In an in-depth interview with the BBC at the Google
headquarters at Silicon Valley in California, the tech boss covered a wide
range of topics, including the threat to free and open Internet and also
narrowed down on two developments that he feels will further revolutionise the
world over the next quarter of a century as artificial intelligence (AI) and
quantum computing.
Pichai, 49, who was born in Tamil Nadu and grew up in
Chennai, has said India is deeply rooted in him and a big part of who he is.
"I'm an American citizen but India is deeply within me.
So it's a big part of who I am,” he said, when asked about his roots.
Pichai also addressed the controversies around tax, privacy,
and data. He argued artificial intelligence was more profound than fire,
electricity or the Internet.
“I view it [artificial intelligence] as the most profound
technology that humanity will ever develop and work on. You know, if you think
about fire or electricity or the Internet, it's like that. But I think even
more profound," said Pichai, the CEO of Google and its parent company
Alphabet.
Pichai, the chief executive of one of the most complex,
warned the free and open Internet is under attack in countries around, the
report said, adding that he said many countries are restricting the flow of
information, and the model is often taken for granted.
When asked about whether the Chinese model of the Internet
based on surveillance is in the ascendant, Pichai said the free and open
Internet "is being attacked". While he didn't refer to China
directly, he said: "None of our major products and services are available
in China."
On the controversial issue of tax, he said: “We are one of
the world's largest taxpayers, if you look at on an average over the last
decade, we have paid over 20 per cent in taxes.
“We do pay the majority of our share of taxes in the US,
where we originate and where our products are developed. I think there are good
conversations and we support the global OECD conversations figuring out what is
the right way to allocate taxes, this is beyond a single company to solve,” he
said.
He was also asked about his own personal tech habits and
encouraged everyone to adopt “two-factor authentication” when it comes to
passwords to ensure multiple protections and admitted he is constantly changing
his phone to test out new technology.
Pichai is universally regarded as an exceptionally kind,
thoughtful, and caring leader, the report said.