AI Radar: Google 'AI Mode', Geopolitics, and the Autonomous Agent Revolution

The week ended with intense movements in the world of artificial intelligence. Google announced its response to the advance of ChatGPT, the US-China dispute takes on new strategic contours, and a startup formed by former Google employees raised US$130 million to develop autonomous AI agents. Let's analyze the main news of the last 24 hours and understand their impacts for entrepreneurs, technology professionals and the innovation ecosystem.

Google announces “AI Mode” to compete with ChatGPT

Google parent company Alphabet announced it will begin testing a new search mode powered by artificial intelligence. The feature, called “AI Mode,” will allow users to ask more complex, multi-part questions — a clear move to compete with the experience offered by ChatGPT and other generative models.

According to InfoMoney information, the system simultaneously performs several related searches in the background, predicting which subtopics may interest the user and presenting a unified response. This functionality will be available in a separate tab from the traditional search.

Google’s move is emblematic for two reasons: first, it shows that the company is feeling the competitive pressure of generative models in its core business; second, it signals a fundamental transformation in the concept of internet search, which is evolving from simply locating information to a more complete problem-solving experience.

For entrepreneurs and startups, this presents both challenges and opportunities. The competition between tech giants for dominance in AI opens up space for specialized solutions that can integrate into these ecosystems or occupy specific niches.

The US-China struggle for AI hegemony will reshape the world

The geopolitical competition for leadership in AI is intensifying and promises to reshape international relations for decades to come. Folha de S.Paulo highlights that this dispute could have impacts comparable to those of the Cold War, with the US and China leading the fight, while Europe, South Korea and Taiwan play strategic roles on the global stage.

This competition is not just technological, but also political and economic. Whoever dominates the next generation of AI technologies will have decisive competitive advantages in several economic sectors, as well as potential influence on global regulatory and ethical standards.

As I have observed over the years working with startups and innovation, Brazil and other developing countries need to develop clear strategies to avoid remaining as passive consumers of technologies developed by these powers. We need to create local capabilities and train talent that can actively participate in this technological revolution.

Reflection AI: The Race for Superintelligence

One of the most intriguing news stories of the week comes from Reflection AI, a startup founded by former researchers at DeepMind (Google's AI lab). According to Estadão, the company has raised a staggering $130 million to develop self-driving AI agents, pursuing what many consider a form of superintelligence.

The concept of autonomous AI agents represents a new frontier in the development of this technology. Instead of systems that respond only to specific commands, these agents could perform complex tasks with a high degree of autonomy, learning and adapting throughout the process.

This evolution could radically transform the way we interact with computing systems. Imagine virtual assistants capable of not only answering questions, but executing entire projects, with little human oversight. The potential impact on productivity and innovation is enormous, but equally significant ethical and security issues arise.

In my mentoring work with tech startups, I have been urging people to pay attention to this trend of autonomous agents. There is huge potential for applications in areas such as software development, industrial automation, healthcare, and education. Startups that can create reliable and useful solutions in this field will have significant competitive advantages.

AI in the financial market: efficiency vs. learning

The financial sector, traditionally at the forefront of adopting new technologies, is facing an interesting dilemma with the accelerated adoption of AI. Bloomberg reports that while banks like Citi, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley are implementing AI tools to increase efficiency, junior analysts fear missing out on crucial professional learning opportunities.

This is a manifestation of a phenomenon I’ve been calling the “automation paradox”: as we automate routine, repetitive tasks that have traditionally been the gateway to many careers, how do we ensure that new professionals develop the necessary experience and knowledge?

The Wall Street case is particularly interesting because it illustrates how AI is not only replacing low-skilled jobs, but also affecting elite, highly paid and prestigious professions. This trend is likely to spread to other knowledge-intensive sectors.

AI and female leadership: a promising alliance

In a particularly relevant news item on this International Women's Day, CartaCapital highlights how artificial intelligence is helping to strengthen the presence of women in leadership positions in the technology sector. According to IBM's report “Female Leadership in the Age of AI”, 741% of people believe that increasing female leadership is essential to ensuring a more equitable distribution of the economic gains generated by AI.

This perspective is extremely important and aligned with what I have been advocating for years: diversity is not only a matter of social justice, but also a critical factor for innovation. Diverse teams produce more complete solutions that are adaptable to the needs of an equally diverse market.

In the Brazilian startup ecosystem, we still have a long way to go in this regard. Companies and organizations that actively promote gender, racial and other types of diversity will be better positioned to innovate and compete globally.

Elon Musk and the Future of AI Training

Elon Musk, always controversial and visionary, stated that artificial intelligence is about to exhaust all the data available on the internet for its training. According to Terra, Musk proposes the use of synthetic data as a solution – one of the biggest current challenges in the field of training AI models.

This statement touches on a crucial point for the future of AI: the quality and quantity of data available for training. The spectacular advances of recent years have been made possible, in large part, by the massive digitization of human content over the past few decades. But are we really reaching a limit?

If Musk is right, the next big leap in AI will depend less on ever-larger algorithms and more on innovative techniques for generating and using high-quality synthetic data. This could democratize AI development, allowing more companies and countries to participate in this technological race without relying exclusively on huge, proprietary data sets.

For startups, especially those just starting out, this is a promising area. The development of techniques and tools for generating and validating high-quality synthetic data could become a significant market in the coming years.

“Living intelligence”: the next frontier

Futurist Amy Webb presented the concept of “Living Intelligence” as the next frontier of AI at SXSW 2025. According to Valor Econômico, this approach involves teaching AI to interpret the physical world in more sophisticated ways.

This concept represents a natural evolution of artificial intelligence: after mastering text, image and sound in the digital environment, the next step is a deeper and more contextual understanding of the physical world. This would bring AI closer to a more human-like form of cognition, capable of integrating different types of sensory and contextual information.

The potential applications are vast: from robots with greater autonomy and adaptability to environmental monitoring systems capable of interpreting complex ecosystems. In the field of healthcare, for example, we can imagine systems that not only analyze medical data, but holistically understand the patient and their environment.

The ethical challenge of digital memory

Finally, an important reflection on the role of AI in building and preserving collective memory. Nexo Jornal brings an analysis of how intentional manipulation by authoritarian governments or corporations can create biased records to advance political or economic interests.

This issue of “AI erasure” touches on a fundamental point: whoever controls the algorithms and data largely controls our perception of reality. As we increasingly rely on AI systems to filter, organize, and interpret information, the risk of systematic distortions increases.

As a society, we need to develop governance and transparency mechanisms that mitigate these risks. This includes both technical solutions and regulatory and educational frameworks.

Conclusion: opportunities in a scenario of accelerated transformation

The news of the last 24 hours reinforces what I have observed throughout my career supporting startups and innovation ecosystems: we are experiencing an unprecedented technological transformation, which will continue to accelerate and expand its impact on all spheres of human life.

For entrepreneurs and technology professionals, this is a time of great opportunities, but also of important strategic choices. The race for superintelligence, geopolitical competition and ethical dilemmas create a complex scenario that requires long-term vision and solid principles.

In my mentoring work with startups, I have emphasized the importance of developing solutions that not only use AI for efficiency gains, but that actually solve real problems and create sustainable value. Technologies change rapidly, but the fundamental principles of good business – deeply understanding customers, developing clear value propositions, and building viable business models – remain essential.

Whether you’re building a startup or leading innovation in your organization, now is the time to keep a close eye on these trends and position yourself strategically. In my consulting and mentoring work, I’ve helped entrepreneurs navigate this complex landscape and seize the opportunities that arise from the AI revolution.