Athira Sethu
Kochi, 19 December 2024
Although Windows is still one of the biggest pieces of Microsoft’s software business, it surprisingly generates more revenues for Google than for Microsoft. This was a confession made by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on a podcast with Bill Gurley and Brad Gerstner.
Nadella explained that Google earns more from Windows, highlighting that the operating system’s openness allows various developers to integrate their tools without restrictions. This means that AI tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini work well on Windows, with no preference given to Microsoft’s own AI tools.
Nadella also talked about the efforts of Microsoft to regain lost ground in the browser market. Microsoft has added AI features to its Edge browser to make it smarter and more advanced. However, Google Chrome is still the most popular browser used by millions worldwide, and it is tough to compete with it.
He reminisced how Microsoft lost the browser market lead to Google Chrome after winning over Netscape years ago. According to Nadella, this was a significant loss; however, he pointed out that Microsoft is recovering now with Edge and AI tools such as Copilot.
Besides, Nadella explained how AI chatbots are replacing the classical search engines, like Google. Unlike search engines, which are “stateless” and process every query as if they don’t know what was there before, AI tools such as ChatGPT are “stateful,” in the sense that it can remember what’s happening during a session, offering more of a personalized and dynamic experience. This shift in the way AI works is also an attractive alternative to search engines. Nadella spoke one day after ChatGPT made Search available to all its users.
