“AI is taking over the world, but I’m not ready for it,” is a sentiment I shared with you a few weeks ago. My apprehensions about generative AI haven’t changed since then, but as I heard the word “AI” being uttered for the 100th time during this week’s Google I/O, a quick realization dawned on me: I was OK with that. Maybe not as ecstatic as the hundreds of I/O attendees clapping and laughing like a ’90s sitcom track, but still, relatively OK and comfortable with Google’s approach to generative AI.

I’ve since rewatched the conference once more while rewinding specific moments many times over to analyze them. I’ve also given myself a couple of days to re-assess whether my rose-tinted Google glasses were affecting my judgment here. The result is I’m still generally comfortable with Google’s AI approach. Where OpenAI’s GPT4 presentation and Microsoft’s CoPilot launch left me in awe but also intimidated and concerned, Google’s take seems smartly selective and restrained.