According to CNBC, Google employees have expressed criticism of their leadership, especially CEO Sundar Pichai, over the company’s handling of the announcement of their ChatGPT competitor, Bard.
The announcement was made public on Monday, February 6th, just a day before Microsoft’s event where they showcased their Bing search engine’s integration with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. On Wednesday, Google provided further details of Bard’s capabilities during an event in Paris.
Google Employees’ Reaction
Google employees turned to Memegen to express their disappointment with the company’s approach. The Memes described the effort as “rushed, botched,” and “un-Googley.” Some employees even went as far as criticizing Sundar Pichai directly.
One meme read, “Dear Sundar, the Bard launch and the layoffs were rushed, botched, and myopic. Please return to taking a long-term outlook.”
Another highly-rated meme referred to the lowest category in the company’s employee performance review system, stating that “Sundar, and leadership, deserve a Perf NI. They are being comically short-sighted and un-Googlely in their pursuit of ‘sharpening focus.’”
Concerns Over the Competitor
The announcement of Bard and Google’s reaction to Microsoft’s event has resulted in Alphabet’s shares dropping by more than 9%. The concern is that ChatGPT, Google’s core search business, will be threatened by Bard’s capabilities.
The company’s position in artificial intelligence has also been called into question, with employees asking about the company’s competitive edge in AI as ChatGPT was taking off in the public eye. Executives responded by saying that the company’s reputation could suffer if it moves too fast on AI-chat technology, which is far from perfect.
Google’s hasty announcement of Bard and its reaction to Microsoft’s event have resulted in negative reactions from employees and investors alike. The company’s approach to AI chat technology has also been questioned, with concerns over the company’s competitive edge.
