Here’s the current picture of Google’s key plans through 2026:
🧑💻 Engineering & AI expansion
Hiring engineers through 2026: CEO Sundar Pichai confirmed at the Bloomberg Tech conference that Google will continue expanding its engineering workforce through 2026, underscoring AI as an “accelerator,” not a replacement for human talent .
AI-powered education tools: Launched today, NotebookLM is now available for students under 18. It uses Gemini to auto-generate study guides, audio summaries, and a Gemini sidebar in Google Classroom .
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☁️ Cloud, Security & Infrastructure
**$32 billion Wiz acquisition**: Google is acquiring cybersecurity startup Wiz, slated to close in 2026, to bolster Google Cloud security across multicloud setups .
Green data center expansion: Through a partnership with Intersect Power and TPG Rise, Google will build AI data centers next to on-site solar and wind farms. The first phase kicks off in 2026 and wraps up by 2027 .
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🤖 Hardware & Platforms rollout
Consumer AI gear in 2026: Following Google I/O, the Android XR platform and prototype smartglasses by Warby Parker and Gentle Monster are expected to hit the market in 2026 .
Shifting away from Iris: Google scrapped its AR headset Project Iris in 2023 and is now pushing Android XR as a software-first wearable platform for third-party hardware .
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🌐 Environmental & Earth initiatives
Fire Sat wildfire detection: Google launched Fire Sat in March 2025. Aiming to deploy 50+ satellites by 2029, it will provide 15-minute imagery and AI analysis to help early wildfire detection .
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🔍 Shift in search & AI direction
From search to everything app: Google I/O 2025 emphasized that Google is evolving into an “everything app” driven by AI (Gemini), signaling a shift from being just a search company .
Search ad fairness scrutiny: UK regulators (CMA) plan measures in early 2026 to limit Google’s dominance in search ranking/ads, including forced choice screens and AI assistant transparency .
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Timeline highlights
Year Key Initiatives
Now–2026 Engineer hiring, Wiz deal progression
2026 Launch AI hardware (XR/glasses), green data center phase 1, CMA antitrust enforcement begins
2027+ Green data center completion, expansion of Fire Sat
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🎯 What this means
Google's strategy is clear: aggressively doubling down on AI—hiring talent, integrating AI into education, and launching AI hardware. At the same time, it’s strengthening its cloud security footprint (Wiz deal), building sustainable infrastructure, and navigating regulatory scrutiny around search fairness.
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Would you like to dive deeper into any area—like details on Gemini-powered devices, cloud growth, regulatory updates, or environmental projects?
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