In a bold and shocking take, Meta’s Chief Technology Officer, Andrew Bosworth, has declared that legacy tech giants may not dominate the artificial intelligence revolution as expected. While many assume companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon will maintain their stranglehold on the tech industry, Bosworth says history tells a different story.
Speaking on the “Possible” podcast, Bosworth challenged the common belief that the biggest companies of today will inevitably lead the AI-driven future.
“The wisdom of any generation is: These big companies from the last generation are obviously going to win the next generation,” Bosworth said. “And it almost never happens. It almost never happens.”
His assertion signals a major shift in the tech landscape, as AI startups rapidly gain ground. Bosworth believes that the industry is wide open for disruption, and new players could shake up the status quo in ways the world hasn’t seen before.
Meta is betting big on AI, investing billions to position itself as a frontrunner. The company’s open-source AI model, Llama, is helping startups develop groundbreaking innovations, according to Bosworth.
“We’re seeing that really play out materially as hyperscalers are forced to take on innovations that came out of these little startups,” he said.
Unlike Google, which faces a “business model challenge” due to its reliance on search advertising, Meta’s AI investments are “all gravy,” Bosworth said. He emphasized that AI is seamlessly enhancing Meta’s products, making them more powerful and efficient without disrupting its core business.
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Bosworth pointed out that Google has the toughest road ahead. The tech giant must decide whether it’s willing to “undermine and cannibalize one of the most successful business models of all time” to stay relevant in the AI race.
On the other hand, Microsoft is in a strong position. The integration of AI into Office products is already proving to be a game-changer. “Having all the AI doesn’t make you able to build Office,” Bosworth said, “but having Office with AI is better.”
Amazon, meanwhile, finds itself somewhere in between. Its cloud computing division, AWS, could benefit massively from AI, but Bosworth questioned whether it would be just another incremental service. However, Amazon’s deep investment in Anthropic and plans to rejuvenate Alexa with AI could give it a fighting chance.
While the tech giants battle for AI supremacy, Bosworth insists that startups could emerge as the real winners. “The startups are a total wild card, and that’s what I love about them,” he said. “You know, they come out of nowhere.”
As the AI revolution unfolds, one thing is clear: the playing field is more unpredictable than ever. Will Google adapt or falter? Can Meta and Microsoft maintain their edge? And will an unknown AI startup come out of nowhere to dethrone them all? The AI race is far from over—and the biggest surprises may still be ahead.
