We all thought that Google and its parent company Alphabet were crazy about robots. It turns out their intentions are bit different. The company has recently showed interest in taking more calculated risks. They consider robot building something of a “moonshot” as they move towards more marketable products. The once bright future of robotics had a place with Alphabet, but it now seems that will be put on hold.
END OF ROAD FOR ROBOTS AND BOSTON DYNAMICS
Alphabet-owned robotics startup Boston Dynamic has been all over the internet with their advancements in A.I. The work they’ve done since being purchased in 2013 has led to some high-profile attention. Yet, sources say Boston Dynamics will not produce a marketable product in the next several years. For this reason, Alphabet is trying to sell the company as well as other members of the robotics division. The end game for Google is to complete a very specific, realistic roadmap for the future of their business. Robots are seemingly not a part of that.
GOOGLE NO LONGER SHOOTING FOR THE MOON
Since last year, Google has been working vigilantly to tighten up their focus. The constant effort to shoot down unnecessary “moonshot” operations is a direct result of this. These operations are often popular amongst media channels, which is understandable. The public is without a doubt interested in floating internet balloons, robots, and self-driving cars, but Google is not concerned about popularity at this point. They are concerned with efforts that will make solid income.
ALPHABET SAYS PRODUCE OR DIE
When CEO Larry Page restructured Alphabet last year , he promised a rigorous capital adjustment. Every little spin -off venture would have to hold itself accountable. If it didn’t produce any results, the group dies. A group called Foundry was designed for this very purpose. The goal of Foundry is to work with these “moonshot” programs and make sure they have a distinct plan set up. If promise is shown, then they can graduate to the next level. If not, they will cease operations immediately. Google robots started before the introduction of Foundry. Had they existed now, perhaps we would have seen a much earlier death for the division. There is good news in all of this. Perhaps a Terminator-esque takeover by robots is now something we don’t have to worry about.
