Alphabet(US:GOOG) CNBC·2026-01-16 06:00Core Insights - Alphabet's stock performance improved significantly in 2025, marking its best year since 2009, as the company regained its competitive edge in AI, particularly through its DeepMind division [3][10]. Company Strategy and Developments - DeepMind, acquired by Google in 2014, is described as the "engine room" of Google's AI efforts, with CEO Demis Hassabis emphasizing the close collaboration with Google CEO Sundar Pichai to innovate rapidly in a highly competitive environment [4][11]. - In 2023, Google merged its Google Brain research division with DeepMind, which laid the groundwork for the success of its AI assistant, Gemini [7]. - The launch of Gemini 2.5 in March 2025 and Gemini 3 in November 2025 received positive feedback for their speed and performance, indicating a successful turnaround in Google's AI product offerings [10][11]. Competitive Landscape - The AI sector is characterized by intense competition, with companies like OpenAI, Amazon, and others vying for market share. Hassabis noted that many industry veterans consider this the most competitive environment they have ever witnessed [5][6]. - Google faced challenges in keeping pace with OpenAI after the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, which highlighted initial product missteps in its AI tools [8][9]. Industry Trends and Perspectives - Hassabis expressed that while some parts of the AI industry may be experiencing a bubble, AI is poised to be the most transformative technology ever invented, akin to the internet during the dot-com bubble [12][13]. - Concerns were raised about unsustainable valuations in private markets, with significant seed funding rounds occurring despite a lack of developed products [15]. - The company aims to position itself advantageously regardless of whether the AI market continues to grow or faces a downturn, leveraging its established business and AI integration [16].