4 highlights from Google CEO Sundar Pichais talk at the AI Impact Summit 2026 in India

Source: Mashable Tech

The AI Impact Summit 2026 is currently underway in New Delhi, India, with major tech companies discussing the state of artificial intelligence. Google CEO Sundar Pichai spoke at the event on Thursday. A transcript of his prepared remarks is available on the Google blog; the live speech was posted to YouTube by Reuters.

1. New connections between the U.S. and India — literally

Google is building a “vast network of subsea fiber‑optic cables,” according to Pichai. As part of the company’s $15 billion infrastructure investment in India, Google is creating a “full‑stack AI hub” that includes four new subsea fiber‑optic cable systems under the America‑India Connect Initiative.

2. Like SpaceX, Google is exploring sending data centers into space

Pichai briefly mentioned the idea of data centers orbiting the Earth, noting that he never imagined “one day be spending time with teams figuring out how to put data centers into space.” This aligns with recent discussions about similar concepts at SpaceX, as reported by Mashable.

3. Novel uses for AI in medicine

Pichai highlighted AI applications in medical research and drug discovery, citing Google DeepMind’s AlphaFold—a system that predicts a protein’s 3D structure from its amino‑acid sequence. He also noted ongoing legal questions in the U.S. about ownership of AI‑generated inventions, as discussed in this Science article.

4. How Google thinks about AI responsibility

In his closing remarks, Pichai emphasized AI responsibility. Google is combating deepfakes by embedding an invisible SynthID in AI‑generated content, enabling verification of its origin. He also stressed the need to “navigate profound economic shifts” as AI reshapes the workforce, highlighted the company’s AI training programs for users, and underscored the important role of governments in regulating the technology.