Sundar Pichai sends message to IIT Kharagpur, AI will soon move from labs to everyday work

Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai has sent a special message to IIT Kharagpur as the institute celebrates 75 years, sharing memories from his student days and outlining how he expects AI to become part of everyday work.For IIT Kharagpur's 75th anniversary, Sundar Pichai revisited his campus years and his early encounters with computing.Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai has shared a message with IIT Kharagpur as the institute celebrates its 75th anniversary, looking back at his time on campus and showing the role AI could play in the next phase of technology.In a video message shared by IIT Kharagpur, Pichai recalled his years as a student, including learning to programme and getting some of his first opportunities to use a computer. He also remembered carrying floppy disks around the campus and the friendships he made during his time at the institute.“Campus, is there I met my wife Angeli that I first learned to program, and where I had my very first few opportunities to use a computer carrying floppy disks around campus,” Pichai said in the message.Pichai said his education at IIT Kharagpur helped set him on a path that eventually led to Google and his efforts to make technology accessible to more people. He also credited the institute with influencing how he thinks about making an impact through technology. Pichai’s AI vision for the next five yearsLooking ahead, Pichai said IIT Kharagpur could play an increasingly important role as India develops new technologies that can have an impact beyond the country. He also pointed to AI as an important part of that future. According to Pichai, AI is likely to become much more closely connected with everyday work over the next five years, moving beyond research environments and early adopters.“When I look at the next 5 years, I see AI moving away from the lab and the early adopters, and into the hands of people doing the work, the healthcare workers, the government officials, the farmers, developers and entrepreneurs,” he said. Pichai said the goal is to build AI systems that help people perform their jobs better while making their work more fulfilling. He also highlighted the contribution of students, recalling his meeting with Gemini student ambassadors from across India at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi.He said the enthusiasm among students about using technology to improve people's lives made him optimistic about the future.Pichai also praised IIT Kharagpur's work under director Suman Chakraborty's leadership, particularly its efforts to take technology beyond laboratories and apply it to areas such as healthcare and underserved communities.He described the institute's approach as a model for how universities can turn research and knowledge into wider social benefits, including in healthcare, sustainability, entrepreneurship and education.- EndsPublished By: Ankita GargPublished On: Sep 2, 2026 17:46 IST