AI Radar: Google Reinvents Search with AI as Brazilian Hospitals Accelerate Tech Adoption

Search giant accelerates digital transformation under competitive and legal pressure

I’ve been following for years how artificial intelligence has gradually changed the technological landscape, but what we’ve seen in the last 24 hours is a remarkable acceleration of this transformation. Google, the company that has defined how we consume information on the internet for more than two decades, is undergoing one of the biggest overhauls in its history – and this is no coincidence.

Faced with pressure from the US Department of Justice’s antitrust lawsuit and growing competition from rivals like OpenAI, Google is supercharging its search engine with advanced AI capabilities. This strategic move shows how even giants need to reinvent themselves when the market changes – a valuable lesson for any entrepreneur.

The search for the future has already arrived

During the Google I/O event, the company presented an updated version of its search engine, highlighting AI Overviews, a feature that already serves more than 1.5 billion users and contributed to a 10% increase in the use of the search engine in countries such as India and the USA. More than just an update, we are seeing the birth of a new paradigm in the way we interact with information online.

Google also announced AI Mode, which offers more extensive and contextualized results, and Deep Search, for more complex questions. According to information from Estadão, these changes are already impacting user experience globally.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai highlighted that “Search brings AI to more people than any other product,” as reported by Economic Value. This statement reveals the central role that search plays in the company's AI democratization strategy.

Challenges and tensions on the horizon

Behind this technological evolution lies a backdrop of profound competitive transformations. Google’s market share in online search is facing unprecedented pressure, with Alphabet shares falling 8% after news that traffic from Apple’s Safari browser to Google had fallen for the first time in 20 years.

Additionally, Gen Z’s search behavior is changing dramatically, with platforms like TikTok and Instagram becoming primary sources of information for many young people. The way we search for and consume information is undergoing a complete revolution.

One aspect that particularly concerns me is the impact of this transformation on the broader digital ecosystem. Studies indicate that AI Overview could reduce website traffic by between 15% and 64%. This means that thousands of small websites and content creators who rely on organic traffic could see their financial viability compromised.

The race for digital authenticity

In parallel with the changes to its search engine, Google is advancing on another crucial front: identifying AI-generated content. SynthID, a technology introduced in 2023, is now available as a free tool for identifying images, videos, audio and text created by artificial intelligence.

According to the Earth, the technology has already watermarked more than 10 billion pieces of AI-generated content. This initiative is crucial at a time when distinguishing between the real and the artificial is becoming increasingly challenging.

As an entrepreneur who has worked in technology for over two decades, I see this evolution as a parallel to what happened with digital certificates and verification systems in the early days of the commercial internet. Trust is a crucial asset in any technology ecosystem, and tools like SynthID will become increasingly important in preserving it.

Silent revolution in Brazilian health

While the transformation of search dominates the spotlight, an equally important revolution is taking place in the Brazilian healthcare sector. According to a report by The People, Brazilian hospitals are preparing to expand the use of artificial intelligence in several areas.

At the 30th edition of Hospitalar, held in São Paulo, innovations were presented that use AI to optimize processes and improve the quality of health services. This transformation ranges from hospital management to direct patient care, with the potential to revolutionize diagnostics and treatments.

I have been closely following the development of healthtech startups in Brazil, and I can say that we are at the beginning of a profound transformation of the sector. The combination of AI and healthcare can generate not only operational improvements, but also save lives and democratize access to quality medical services.

Chip Innovation: Decentralized Computing

One piece of news that has gone relatively unnoticed but could have profound implications for the future of AI is the development of an innovative chip that operates without the need for the internet or cloud. Dubbed AI Pro, this chip was modeled after the functioning of the human brain, with a neuromorphic architecture that allows it to perform calculations with high speed and security.

According to the Technological Innovation, AI Pro is up to ten times more energy efficient compared to existing chips. Unlike conventional models, it does not require millions of records to learn, recognizing patterns more similarly to the human brain.

In my view, this technology points to a future where AI will be much more distributed and less dependent on large processing centers. This has huge implications for privacy, security, and the democratization of access to technology.

What does this mean for the Brazilian entrepreneur?

All these transformations bring both challenges and opportunities for entrepreneurs in Brazil. I see at least three important fronts to consider:

1. Adapting to the new reality of searches: Entrepreneurs will need to rethink their digital marketing and SEO strategies for a world where traditional ranking is being replaced by AI-generated direct answers.
2. Opportunities in verification and authenticity: With the proliferation of AI-generated content, opportunities arise for startups offering verification and authentication solutions in specific niches.
3. Sectoral transformation: Sectors like healthcare are just beginning their transformation journey through AI, creating immense space for startups that combine domain expertise with technology.

In my mentoring sessions for startups, I have emphasized that the current moment requires a particularly close look at changes in user behavior. Companies that can anticipate how people will search for, consume, and interact with information in the post-traditional search engine environment will have a significant competitive advantage.

The future is being distributed unevenly

As William Gibson once said, “the future is already here, it’s just unevenly distributed.” We see this clearly in the way AI is transforming different sectors at different rates. While giants like Google can invest billions in technological transformation, many Brazilian companies are still taking their first steps on this journey.

In this scenario, it is essential that entrepreneurs, executives and policymakers understand the implications of these changes and work to ensure that Brazil does not fall behind in the AI revolution. In my mentoring work with startups, I have seen a growing interest in understanding and applying AI in innovative business models – a positive sign for the Brazilian ecosystem.

The speed of change is astonishing. Just a few years ago, we talked about AI as something that belonged in the distant future. Today, it is already reshaping how we interact with technology in our daily lives, from how we search for information to how we receive medical care.

In my work as a mentor and investor in startups, I continue to invest in founders who understand that AI is not just a tool, but a vector for transforming business models. If you are building something in this direction and need support to navigate these turbulent waters, get in touch. The AI revolution is just beginning, and Brazil has the potential to be a protagonist in this story.