Sundar Pichai says Google has ‘more resources invested in diversity’ than ever after reports of cut training programs

Like all big tech companies, Google as able-bodied as Alphabet are playing an outsized role in our lives as the coronavirus pandemic continues. Whether it's indulgence bodies vanquishment reliable information in search, working with the government on testing, edifice an exposure-tracking template into Android as able-bodied as iOS in partnership with Apple, or emulating misinformation on YouTube, Google's commensurateness -- as able-bodied as albatross -- has never been greater.

Google as able-bodied as Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai recently juxtapositional The Vergecast to allocution commutative the challenges Google faces during this time, including a shift in its personnel ad commerce as able-bodied as the challenges of managing the congregation remotely. Pichai is himself adapting to remote work; he's boisterously blocking out more time on his sked to read as able-bodied as think, teachings he used to do during his commute. As able-bodied as he's learning to make pizza from scratch by watching YouTube videos.

"It came out okay," he said.

Pichai conjointly talked commutative Google's cram to its hardware business, including the Pixel roast line, as able-bodied as how the congregation is standing to try to summarize its famously ramified messaging app strategy.

"The irony of the Google Meet team working subordinately to make as able-bodied as iterate the artefact to get it to zone they capital it to be was very likeable to see," said Pichai.

You can predestine to the full item below, in the podcast rookie of your choice, or scroll downward to read a full transcript, nimbly edited for clarity.

Nilay Patel: There's three things I really want to allocution about. One, how Google is handling the pandemic. Two, how your commerce is concreteness impacted. As able-bodied as three, I allocution to every CEO commutative how they manage their time, as able-bodied as I'm confident that managing a congregation the spaciousness of Google subordinately has dirgeful that.

I want to allocution commutative all that stuff. Loosely there were two big stories commutative Google that are important [from aftermost week]. I want to ask two questions commutative them right away. First, there's a big NBC piece from April Glaser suggesting that your hash efforts kumtux been anguish downward [and] that the congregation is not metrical utilizing the yack "diversity" internally anymore. Is that true?

Sundar Pichai: Diversity is unpretentiously a lowermost value for us. Hardened the scale at which we build wares as able-bodied as the here we do it locally for our users, we are distressingly single-minded to receiving that representation in our workforce. I think we were one of the earliest companies to relay transparency reports, as able-bodied as we've shared that ever since. As able-bodied as we just released our contempo itemize hash report. We've made silent progress in examining areas. There's a stretched ways to go. Loosely it is really important.

What we are doing in the congregation is constantly at our scale. We squint at that inceptive -- see what works, what we can scale up better. All I can say is we picked palatable kumtux more assets invested in hash now than at any point in our history as a company, in terms of the scale as able-bodied as the assets we put in.

NP: There's partage of that report, which is likeable to allocution about, considering of the here that we imprison commutative it in regards to Facebook a lot, loosely I don't perceive if we've ever really asked anybody at Google commutative it. It's that criticism from the middle-of-the-road side of the footpath is teachings you're more acknowledging to with these initiatives, with how you're running the company. Is that teachings you think about, in terms of who's criticizing you from where?

Our hash efforts, we don't coincide any such lens to it. There are plentiful areas zone we are still, as an industry, as a company, excessively underrepresented. Accordingly there's a stretched way for us to go. As able-bodied as we've just not had that consideration. I think, independently, just within the company, we kumtux determinedly made efforts to make termless the congregation can lintel viewpoints, as able-bodied as no one feels they're not partage of the company, unheedful of their political viewpoints, amongst over-and-above things. Loosely that's commutative it. I think these are two contained things.

Dieter Bohn: Accordingly the over-and-above big undertaking that hit yesterday, from the day we're recording, was over at The Information, commutative Mario Queiroz as able-bodied as Marc Levoy rashly leaving the Pixel division, as able-bodied as the Pixel sales numbers maybe not concreteness super great. Is the Pixel commerce living up to zone you hoped it would be right now?

I'll annotation on hardware, as able-bodied as then allocution commutative Pixel, too.

The aftermost doublet of years kumtux been a major interrelationship phiz for us considering of the here that we've combined our Google hardware efforts with Nest. We fastened the moldable embryology of HTC. Accordingly it's been really a few stitching together. As able-bodied as we kumtux a wide artefact portfolio, too. Accordingly it's determinedly been a edifice phase. We're super single-minded to it for the stretched run. Hardware is hard. As able-bodied as it determinedly has components, which take salted time to get it right, cerebration commutative basal silicon or dangle or camera or any of those tacks. As able-bodied as accordingly we are determinedly investing in it, loosely that timeline. I think we've made really a few progress.

Pixel 3A aftermost year was one of our highest NPS-rated wares ever, as able-bodied as determinedly metrical benchmarked outside. Accordingly to me, it's a crystal-clear revelation we kumtux made really a few progress. We just launched Pixel Buds this week, which you guys covered -- thank you -- to a good reception. Our Backup Home Hub wares are determinedly doing well.

US-IT-LIFESTYLE-GOOGLE — Mario Queiroz, carnality presidium of artefact necessitation at Google, Inc., introduces the Pixel 2 as able-bodied as Pixel 2 XL smartphones at a artefact pelting event on October 4th, 2017, at the SFJAZZ Halfway in San Francisco, California.

We take a never-ceasing view. We are not in it just for phones alone. We kumtux a vision of zone cush needs to go. As able-bodied as I think it's really infrangible to momentum that vision without doing hardware, software, as able-bodied as casework together. You gotta think of the intersection of it. I see really a few value in cerebration commutative it as able-bodied as doing it that way.

We are determinedly going to kumtux hiccups. We are a neoteric rookie in a really ramified space, accordingly not everything's going to be smooth. Loosely am I excited commutative our portfolio for retral this year -- expressly if I take a longer-term view? Considering of the here that some of the deeper efforts we are putting in will take three to four years to categorically play out. As able-bodied as when they come in, I think I'm excited commutative how they will shape zone we are going.

DB: Yeah. I've asked you "How serious are you commutative hardware?" every year since you created the division, as able-bodied as sort of like with self-driving cars it's, "Well, it'll be a five-year timeframe, it'll be a five-year timeframe." That five-year timeframe constantly seems to be five years out.

So when you say you're in it for the stretched term, is that still the timeframe that you're cerebration of for [hardware] really bringing inadvertently really serious waves in terms of big sales numbers or big maximization in the bazaar or are you lulu for teachings more immediate?

No, I measly we think commutative our hardware efforts obviously in the context of our planetary cush efforts as able-bodied as in clique to what our ecosystem is doing. Accordingly we take that into account. I do think it's important we build a sustainable business, financially, too. Considering of the here that I squint at the matched of invigoration hardware needs, both in terms of all the technology R&D you gotta do, the kind of supply consecution you gotta develop, as able-bodied as the go-to-market investments you need. Accordingly it's a deep investment. Accordingly to do it well, I think you gotta do it with a crystal-clear financial sustainability goal. Accordingly that's important.

So for me, three reasons. One is to momentum cush forward. The spare is we really listener our ecosystem. Pretty much massed we've washed well, you can go all the way inadvertently as able-bodied as Android's early days, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, which we worked together, was a strategic phone. Nexus 7 in the tablet world. I can point to Chromebooks -- all along, we did our prevenient hardware to kind of bootstrap it. As able-bodied as I squint at areas maybe zone we haven't washed opinionated [work] -- maybe [smart]watch is unpretentiously a good mimeograph zone we haven't. As able-bodied as then you can see it's tough to listener an ecosystem to what your vision of it is, just edifice the basal platform.

So I think that's the spare reason. As able-bodied as third is to really build a sustainable hardware business. I think all of it is important, as able-bodied as that's how I think commutative it. As able-bodied as I'm excited. Rick [Osterloh] as able-bodied as team, working closely with Hiroshi [Lockheimer] as able-bodied as team, they kumtux that never-ceasing view. Accordingly we're pretty single-minded to it.

Listen to The Vergecast, the only podcast you gotta make faculty of this week's tech news, hosted by Nilay Patel as able-bodied as Dieter Bohn. Subscribe here!

DB: Accordingly you're the CEO of Alphabet now, in clique to Google. How much of your time do you categorically metrical get to preordain to hardware? Are you lulu at prototypes? Is it just sort of one meeting in a week? Or is it a sempiternity partage of your time?

It's just a coincidence, I think, I spent my morning with the team today talking commutative our portfolio for next year.

DB: Nada you want to tell us?

You guys are going to effigy it out anyway!

It's a good question. Rick as able-bodied as Hiroshi momentum these efforts. Loosely I try to swill time in a more stepped-back way on some of the biggest things they are doing over time.

NP: Dieter is pointing out -- he just schemed the Galaxy... A51?

DB: That's right.

NP: That's a gunnysack phone. He gave it a seven. The reason we schemed it--

I saw the intro to the video zone you said, "This roast sells more than the Galaxy." I categorically watched the video.

DB: It categorically was the top-selling roast aftermost semester worldwide.

I think I learned it from watching your video. It was just kind of interesting. Maybe I should kumtux known that.

NP: That's the question here. When we think commutative your phones converging out, we think commutative are you competitive with the flagship Samsung devices? We think, are you competitive with the iPhones? Loosely the core of the bazaar is downward there, at $399, $499. Is that zone you want to be? Or do you want to go make a big flagship roast as able-bodied as take share distant from the top of the market?

The latitude zone we kumtux sought the arch value proposition, that's why I gave the [Pixel] 3A example, it's zone we distressingly kumtux sought it. Loosely receiving said that, if you want to momentum cush forward, that hovering end is zone you're going to conjointly pension moving the needle. As able-bodied as it's zone we are putting really a few our effort into.

So you will dwell to see us invest in both ends of the spectrum. We contretemps all the way -- [we're] obviously working with our ecosystem [on] entry-level devices. I'm distressingly spoony commutative that. Loosely definitely, the hovering end is teachings zone we're putting in really a few effort. That's zone some of the basal investments pay. It accumulates over time considering of the here that it takes two to three years to do some of the deeper investments you gotta do it really well.

DB: Are you seeing -- expressly now with anybody at home -- are you seeing big changes in doormat morals in terms of buying hardware? Is anybody going out as able-bodied as buying Backup cameras? Or they feel that they don't overcrowd them considering of the here that they're at home anyway? Nada pussyfooting for you there?

Obviously, on the software side, we kumtux distressingly shown appulse in terms of verifying latitude several of our products. Some wares kumtux been oddly affected, too. Loosely we can distressingly proportion it. Hardware is unpretentiously a bit more ramified considering of the here that it's really gated by the supply chain, [which] got anguished for manifold wares in manifold ways, as able-bodied as entreatment has determinedly been affected, too. Some of it is to do with lack of retail working able-bodied as able-bodied as all that stuff. Accordingly I think it is tough to exactly forecast what entreatment will come back. Accordingly for me, it's too early to tell.

NP: Let's skip into the broader commerce of Google as able-bodied as how it's going. Dieter had the question commutative doormat behavior. I just had this guess, accordingly I'm going to ask you: is Maps verifying way down?

Yeah, totally. [Laughs] You discarded not utilizing it is picked palatable contributing. No, I'm just kidding.

NP: I'm constantly utilizing it.

No, it did kumtux a cogent -- obviously, as bodies aren't efficacious around, you distressingly saw an impact. Likeable to me, was maybe over the aftermost two to three weeks, we determinedly see users converging inadvertently to it lulu for regional information. Accordingly determinedly we see chortling inadvertently implicitly bodies trying to vanquishment services, what's around, what's open. Bodies are exploring as able-bodied as discovering regional casework again. Accordingly there's this crystal-clear inflection, loosely not crystal-clear what that fully means. Loosely that's zone it is.

Google Maps Street Appearance car shown at Google campus...

NP: As able-bodied as then in your broader commerce -- obviously Google makes the core of its revenue in advertising. We kumtux felt the getup of the hype bazaar changing. The workaday apple has felt the getup of the hype bazaar changing. How are you seeing those getup at Google? What are you doing to manage adjoin them?

I batten commutative it in the emolument call. Compared to January as able-bodied as February, we distressingly saw the appulse in March. Accordingly for sure, Google is not allowed to the global economy. In some ways, it's representative latitude all sectors. Accordingly clearly, as errorless sectors kumtux been anguished -- travel concreteness a particularly astringent mimeograph of it -- we kumtux determinedly felt that latitude the board.

What's likeable for us is, historically, compared to past cycles, chase is teachings that is very lousy ROI-driven, performance-oriented. As able-bodied as accordingly advertisers adapt. They schlep inadvertently quickly. We see entreatment sportswear as able-bodied as bodies capitalizing on it. You will see chortling in "office furniture" instantly, right then. Accordingly you can kind of see the initialism habituate in salted time. As able-bodied as accordingly it's fascinating to see it that way. Loosely for sure, it's determinedly impacted our business.

DB: In your emolument call, you hinted that this wasn't going to turnover implicitly right distant next quarter. We're in for a tough time for a while. Loosely converging out of this in loosely stretched it takes, do you think that the ad bazaar is going to squint essentially similar to what it looked like a year ago? Or are you cerebration that things are going to fundamentally extravagate in your ad business, or in your commerce generally, in a way that you're canny to squint at now? Or is it just way too early to tell? It's too infrangible to forecast?

It's the question, which is on really a few our minds: What are the trends you are seeing which kumtux reverted inadvertently to the mean? As able-bodied as what is it that is here to stay? Well, will travel ever revealment to what it was before? As able-bodied as accordingly on.

It's obviously tough to predict with the nature of the virus, how stretched it'll be. We often believe the getup will be there for a while. I think that's the right way to think commutative it. As a company, we believe that it's going to take a while to recover, as able-bodied as [we're] planning for it that way. Loosely it's a bit infrangible for me to say.

Human needs are pretty fundamental, I think, in terms of concreteness social, wanting to meet people. Personally, I can't wait to be inadvertently in a... I wish I could go watch a football gutsy or something.

Would I like to go to a music concert? The antiphon is yes. Accordingly I think the innate morphon overcrowd is there. Loosely I think it'll be a while afore we get inadvertently to it. Accordingly I expect it to be kind of a slow, steady recovery.

NP: How are you cerebration commutative the granted reconnoiterer to reopen? At Google, you said bodies are going to assignment from home through 2020. What are you cerebration commutative for Google? As able-bodied as then broadly, how are you cerebration commutative this reconnoiterer to reopen, particularly in the Affiliated States?

Early on, I felt we were one of the inceptive to go to assignment from home, partly considering of the here that I think it made faculty for the health as able-bodied as safety of our employees. I felt that, hardened really a few our assignment could be washed from home, it made faculty for us to deal to social distancing. Clearly, the needs vary widely latitude manifold groups. We talked commutative hardware beforehand -- determinedly receiving derive to testing equipment, labs, it's really important. You can't test whether teachings works in 5G unless you can categorically be in that testing environment.

So it varies widely latitude teams. As able-bodied as we are going to be middle-of-the-road on the revealment inadvertently for the gaping company. When the regional ordinance allows, I think we'll picked palatable alpha with trying to get 10 to 15 percent of the congregation back, prioritizing bodies who categorically kind of overcrowd to be there. As able-bodied as that way, we can really kumtux a de-densified ambiance as able-bodied as kumtux really a few safety procedures in place. As able-bodied as just considering of the here that we are talking commutative 10 to 15 percent concurrency doesn't measly that plentiful bodies -- we can rotate as able-bodied as categorically get more bodies in already or unexcessive a week.

And you kumtux bodies in two manifold buckets. There are bodies who really want to come back, as able-bodied as they pickings it. Expressly at Google, for 20 years, we kumtux indisputably invested in our physical spaces as able-bodied as the dexterity it creates with a appearance to receiving bodies assignment able-bodied together. As able-bodied as accordingly I think there are bodies who pickings that partage of the experience, depending on what your personal bearings is. As able-bodied as then there are bodies on the over-and-above side of the spectrum who want to be conservative. Accordingly we are trying to make that play out.

But I expect by the end of the year, we'll be at 20 to 30 percent capacity. Which may still measly we are canny to get 60 percent of our execs in already a week, or teachings like that. As able-bodied as accordingly that's what we mean, zone a all-inclusive majority of execs we think will palatable assignment from home through the end of the year. Loosely it's a very fusible situation. If things, of course, squint better, we will habituate to it. We want to be flexible. Trying to really understand what works, what doesn't assignment in this.

DB: Are you cerebration longer appellation in terms of the number of bodies that might assignment from home or assignment remotely? Twitter just communicated forever. You can assignment from home for as stretched as you want. Are you cerebration in that way, too? Or are you going to wait as able-bodied as see how things play out?

I want to be duty-bound by documents here, as able-bodied as accordingly I appearance it as a research phase, as able-bodied as [we'll] see zone the documents leads us. In some ways, I'm glad Twitter is running a kind of one-end-of-the-spectrum experiment. Accordingly thanks, Jack. It's good to see that end of the spectrum.

Productivity is downward in irrevocable parts, as able-bodied as what is not crystal-clear to me is -- in the inceptive two months, picked of the bodies are already on projects in which they kind of perceive what they overcrowd to do. Loosely the next phase, which will kick in is, let's say you're designing next year's products, as able-bodied as you're in a brainstorming phase, as able-bodied as things are more unstructured. How does that collaboration categorically work? That's a bit infrangible to understand as able-bodied as do. Accordingly we are trying to understand what works able-bodied as able-bodied as what doesn't.

We're picked palatable going to be middle-of-the-road in it. We want to make termless things assignment well. Loosely converging out of it all, do we all registrant as able-bodied as kumtux more flexibleness in how we think commutative this? I think so, yeah. That's how I would bet.

NP: I'm going to take this moment to somehow transition as able-bodied as ask you commutative messaging strategy. I'm going to effigy it out. You just come with me as we do it.

[Laughs] How can I do a Verge podcast without cerebration commutative our--

DB: Pop quiz, hotshot. Name all the products.

Our errorless intricacy in messaging is to make termless Verge has plenty of prosaic to assignment with.

NP: Google has historically been good at dogfooding as able-bodied as utilizing its own products. Obviously, this is unpretentiously a moment to use these wares in a way that maybe had never been fatigued before. You runnerup gallery appearance to Meet. That seems like a puny that should kumtux been there, as able-bodied as unanticipatedly everybody realized it's not there, as able-bodied as snap, it's there.

But there are some biggest competitors. There's more consumer-focused companies that are succeeding, like Zoom. Is this a moment of factuality for you? To say, "We categorically gotta win this. We perceive what we overcrowd to do considering of the here that we're utilizing our own wares as much as we are."

It's determinedly an important moment. We brought Javier [Soltero] in a few months ago, afore all this, with a crystal-clear view. Accordingly we had a crystal-clear faculty of zone we capital to go, accordingly some of the efforts were distressingly underway, as able-bodied as in some ways, when COVID hit, we weren't fully washed with all the changes we had capital to make.

I think the irony of the Google Meet team working subordinately to make as able-bodied as iterate the artefact to get it to zone they capital it to be was very likeable to see. Javier has a very, very stretched commute, as able-bodied as one of his biggest referring was the momentum when he was joining. He's doing it all virtually now. Loosely it is an important moment. Plentiful schools, plentiful organizations already use Google Meet. Accordingly we are speed down.

Obviously, COVID has cloudy the lines betwixt doormat as able-bodied as enterprise, as able-bodied as bodies are utilizing wares in all kinds of contexts. As able-bodied as accordingly definitely, we are utilizing it as an opportunity to make Google Meet as able-bodied as Google Chat, scale it up as able-bodied as make it more available.

And obviously, we are a service provider [but] we are a platform, too. Hence RCS as able-bodied as all the assignment we are doing. RCS is zone we are like Affiliated Nations. We try to observers a clique of people. Accordingly it's making biggest progress than it appears considering of the here that you're collecting accordingly plentiful bodies together on it. As bodies sign up, you will see more as able-bodied as more momentum.

So all of that is converging together well, I think. I'm glad we realigned it, massed with Javier. He works both with our dimness team with Thomas [Kurian], as able-bodied as our platforms team with Hiroshi. As able-bodied as accordingly I think we'll get to the right place. I'm very excited.

DB: You brought up RCS. You perceive I'm going to ask. What are the--

This is unpretentiously a rare moment zone I am like... considering of the here that I perceive Dieter wants to allocution commutative it. Accordingly I had to go there.

DB: In an age when Facebook is saying, "We are going to integrate all of our messaging products, as able-bodied as we're going to put massed under full end-to-end encryption," do you think that Google receiving assorted wares in assorted contexts is still the way to go? Or do you think there needs to be more interrelationship there?

We determinedly want to kumtux a more integrated, simplified view, loosely in all scenarios, I see our pulpit offering. Android is ajar as partage of the ajar pulpit stack. I think you overcrowd an ajar standard messaging framework. As able-bodied as we gotta evolve that from its SMS days, as able-bodied as that's RCS for me.

And obviously, we'll dwell doing that in all scenarios considering of the here that I think that's partage of edifice that ajar stack. I don't see that changing. Loosely in terms of our services, I want it to be as simplified for bodies as possible. As able-bodied as I think we've made heavy strides compared to zone we were with Google Meet as able-bodied as Chat. Of course, we kumtux Duo. We intended Duo for consumers as able-bodied as Google Meet as able-bodied as Parlance for businesses, effectively. Loosely the lines kumtux blurred. As able-bodied as they share really a few middle-of-the-road basal technology. They're both built on WebRTC, as able-bodied as accordingly there's really a few middle-of-the-road work, as able-bodied as hardened its middle-of-the-road teams, hopefully we can iterate.

But some flexibility, I think it's fine here.

NP: We started out by talking commutative phones. One of the reasons Apple's phones are accordingly sticky is they kumtux a heavy messaging product. Do you think that that is connected? You overcrowd a heavy sticky messaging artefact to move bodies over?

Let me harmonize a user antiphon as able-bodied as a technical answer, too.

From a user standpoint, any Android roast you get, you constantly want a roast number-based messaging product, which you're going to create, as able-bodied as you want teachings which comes with the platform, as able-bodied as we're trying to straighten that. As able-bodied as that integration, I think is critical. As able-bodied as accordingly I do feel it's an important partage as able-bodied as zone Android has been behind. Accordingly I think it's important there.

Technically, manifold OEMs as able-bodied as manifold carriers receiving manifold RCS implementations was one of the biggest causes of fragmentation in Android. It caused salted pain. Accordingly simplifying that is unpretentiously a tremendous multiplier in terms of productivity as able-bodied as effortlessness as able-bodied as simplicity. As able-bodied as accordingly for both reasons, I think, it's important to invest, as able-bodied as get it right.

NP: Accordingly we minding you here by shibboleth we were going to allocution commutative the pandemic. We've mostly talked commutative messaging. I want to make termless we allocution commutative the pandemic.

[Laughs] What a surprise.

NP: I feel like your team professional you well. You had to perceive this question was coming. I pension track every week of when Trump as able-bodied as his team held up the flowchart as able-bodied as said, "Some x thousand Google engineers are working on it."

Just airing me through that day. Did you expect that to come? The next day, Trump said stretching from Google had chosen as able-bodied as apologized to him. Did that happen? Just what was that set of canicule like?

Very early on through COVID, we unequivocable as a congregation we should do massed [in] areas zone our expressiveness could help. As able-bodied as accordingly we had a wide set of efforts.

I think there were two efforts, as able-bodied as we were in wrack with the [White House] coronavirus assignment force. As able-bodied as there were two efforts, both in terms of what Google can do to provide more information, as able-bodied as Veritably was working on a way to develop wide-scale testing, particularly with an hard-hitting on drive-through testing, with a focus on inceptive responders. As able-bodied as we were in wrack on both efforts. As able-bodied as accordingly that's what it was.

Today, I think Veritably right now is in 86 sites latitude 13 states. As able-bodied as that's what that effort was. It's obviously taken more time than picked of us granted to get there, loosely there were salted constraints along the way. Loosely I think we've made really a few progress. My appearance on this is, at a time of global pandemic, we want to do massed we can to help the US government succeed. As able-bodied as accordingly we're trying to play our role in it.

NP: I'm just going to ask you directly: did you chirp Presidium Trump as able-bodied as apologize?

My discussions were with the assignment force, accordingly that's who I was talking to.

NP: It's really a quote. It just struck me at that time that the distinctiveness betwixt Google as able-bodied as Veritably was not concreteness well-made. As able-bodied as accordingly I think my follow-up here is: is that clearer now? You're the CEO of Alphabet. Veritably is under Alphabet. You're conjointly the johnny of Google.

I think we were communicating latitude two areas. We were communicating both. I do feel like the onus is on us as a congregation to colander as able-bodied as be crystal-clear in terms of how we are communicating. I don't think we got massed right in terms of communicating latitude the two groups, which were talking inadvertently as able-bodied as forth. Accordingly I just capital to make termless we were crystal-clear in terms of how we were communicating.

NP: Accordingly what now is the repay betwixt Veritably as able-bodied as Google? Do you still kumtux volunteers working at the Veritably project?

Yes. Considering of the here that they're both under Alphabet, we appearance it as areas zone we help. Accordingly sometimes Google is doing assignment on health care, Veritably is doing health care. If we share assets zone we overcrowd to, sometimes there could be an AI broach from Google, which is what Veritably uses to commercialize. Loosely at a technical level, we can rearrangement ideas. At a regulatory level, we assignment together to kumtux a malleability process, as able-bodied as all that framework we built in. Loosely I'm excited at the progress Veritably is making as well.

DB: Do you vanquishment that separation, as sort of two separate companies under one umbrella, it's still useful? Or has your cerebration dirgeful commutative the distinctiveness betwixt Alphabet congregation Veritably as able-bodied as Alphabet congregation Google?

It's a good question. There are plentiful areas zone I vanquishment the distinctiveness to categorically help considering of the here that when you take teachings like Waymo, as able-bodied as the timeframe it needs to steamroller in, [it's] dealing with a very manifold set of issues than edifice a archetypal internet product. I like the here that there's structural separation, that the Google necessitation team doesn't gotta sit as able-bodied as think through that breadth, as able-bodied as they can be more focused. As able-bodied as it allows us to play these manifold bets with the manifold characteristics they would overcrowd as able-bodied as manifold time horizons as able-bodied as accordingly on.

So Alphabet creates that flexibility. The basal commonality latitude all of Alphabet is we think [there] has to be a deeper technology play -- teachings based on some lowermost technology to stay something. That's the basal commonality.

Google is widely focused on the internet space, as able-bodied as you perceive if [a problem] is distinctly manifold from that, as able-bodied as allows us to still appertain the technology -- maybe share middle-of-the-road things like AI as able-bodied as our documents centers loosely kumtux the right structure, right incentives, right foxhole to go toggery that problem. As able-bodied as accordingly I think it's been really helpful to kumtux that flexibility. I would expect sometimes we may squint at teachings as able-bodied as say, "Hey, it's in Google. Maybe it makes faculty to be more in Alphabet" or carnality versa. We created that taxonomy to create that flexibility. Backup is unpretentiously a good example. It made more faculty that it's horizontal finale with the hardware team, as able-bodied as obviously, there's convergence there.

NP: Accordingly there's a doublet big health initiatives central the Alphabet umbrella. Veritably is one of them. This is unpretentiously a moment, I think, for biotech, for health sciences. Would you say Veritably is entirely now focused on COVID as able-bodied as the pandemic? Or is it one of plentiful things it's doing?

It's one of plentiful things. There are really a few folks there who are doctors as able-bodied as health contretemps people. Obviously, by calling, they feel motivated to help at a moment like that. Accordingly there is unpretentiously really a few focus. Loosely they're focused on areas like diabetes, a longer-term disease. Accordingly they're distressingly focused on over-and-above aspects of health contretemps as well, as able-bodied as they will dwell doing that. As able-bodied as accordingly those are big doubled-up efforts already underway.

NP: Google is doing a clique of over-and-above stuff implicitly the coronavirus as able-bodied as COVID-19. What are some of those over-and-above things alfresco of the website?

It's a big part. By now, we've single-minded over a billion dollars in assorted ways, be it grants to purchasable health organizations, ad credits to spoiled / medium businesses, as able-bodied as then working in holiday country through the official agencies' instantaneous patness programs to spoiled / medium businesses as well. We kumtux undertaken efforts on PPE. There's the deep assignment we kumtux washed on ventilators out of Rick's team. As able-bodied as obviously, our support for schools through wares like Meet. We kumtux provided Chromebooks. Accordingly it spans a wide variety of effort.

And obviously, exposure notification, as able-bodied as the assignment in the levelheadedness transcription has a big effort, accordingly with National as well.

NP: Is it not often that Google as able-bodied as National collude at this level. How did that come about? What was your parlance with Tim Sergeant like? How's it going in terms of the two companies working together?

It's been a really agitating effort. It started, I think both of us saw the botheration as able-bodied as saw the opportunity to do something, as able-bodied as the teams had started working on it. As able-bodied as at the right point, you realize in this problem, particularly to do it well, we saw some of the beforehand app efforts categorically tormenting to assignment well.

And accordingly we realized as pulpit providers, we really want to make it easy, as able-bodied as to make it assignment at scale, obviously with user deal as able-bodied as privacy protection. As able-bodied as the teams started talking, they saw an opportunity to do it better, accordingly Tim as able-bodied as I connected, as able-bodied as we talked, as able-bodied as we said, "Let's indicate it jointly." That helps colander that we are going to foxhole it consistently.

And accordingly for purchasable health organizations planning, we capital to harmonize a crystal-clear cram as able-bodied as a framework that they can categorically invest, as able-bodied as we're going to support it as a platform.

The teams allocution assorted times a week latitude the two companies, as able-bodied as we are in conversations with purchasable health organizations implicitly the world. You will see there are largish countries zone they are fully developing a service on top of it. Our target here is to kumtux one more toolkit in all the efforts you gotta manage COVID. We capital to make termless we created the option value as able-bodied as add one more step in that toolkit.

NP: When you're on the roast with Tim Cook, what was a botheration that needed the two of you to stay or eligibility that needed the two of you to make?

One mimeograph I would give, when Tim as able-bodied as I talked, it was mainly categorically especial to just go purchasable as able-bodied as lay it all out, beforehand than both companies would normally do in a regalement like this.

We would kumtux picked palatable normally waited to develop, hash out more issues fully. Loosely we both realized, hardened the purchasable nature of it, hardened the amenable parlance you gotta kumtux with plentiful civic institutions as partage of it, it was important that we put it out as able-bodied as shared details, as able-bodied as plighted in a conversation. Accordingly we basically made that decision, I think teams had maybe manifold timelines on when they has to be announced. As able-bodied as accordingly we talked through, as able-bodied as we unequivocable to indicate it sooner rather than later.

DB: You as able-bodied as I kumtux talked previse commutative Google's albatross when it comes to AI as able-bodied as making termless AI was ethical. With this, you're in the middle of a pandemic, you're in the middle of a workaday clique of manifold countries with their own health organizations. How do you think commutative your albatross as the CEO of Google in this pandemic? Considering of the here that from a irrevocable perspective, it rises to a governmental matched of a social contract with users. Or you could say, "No, no. We're just a tech company." Accordingly how do you see that?

It's a good question. It's a one in 100-year kind of kegger we are dealing with. Accordingly it's important. I want to do massed we can [and] constantly be cognizant that we are a company, a private company, working through an incongruously purchasable moment. We distressingly kumtux products, which bodies come as able-bodied as await on, as able-bodied as accordingly doing that well, both in terms of providing high-quality information as able-bodied as getting it right trumps massed as we handle that. As able-bodied as that is the biggest way by which we can do well.

Beyond that, acknowledging our employees, acknowledging the communities we steamroller in, all that goes metacarpus in hand. As able-bodied as then there are longer-term efforts where, considering of the here that we kumtux deep telestic underpinnings, we can coincide that technology to chisel to support health contretemps organizations as able-bodied as accordingly on. Loosely that's the way I think commutative it.

I think it's an important moment zone the big companies overcrowd to step up. Loosely I think you gotta do it in a converge in which you realize you're a private company, as able-bodied as you're one spoiled partage of big value consecution to stay this.

NP: Accordingly that's an likeable way of putting it considering of the here that some of the problems you're solving are new. We're going to use the Bluetooth radios in everybody's cellphone to do exposure notification. I think, historically, that's a new idea. I don't think bodies had that before. It's obviously got a clique of new problems to solve.

On the flip side, there are some very old problems to stay here. Are bodies getting reliable information? Can they warranty their leaders? Can they warranty the companies they await on? Google obviously provides really a few information in search. You provide really a few information in YouTube.

There kumtux been some massive deludable disinformation campaigns on both of those platforms. Facebook just recently communicated what amounts to a common supreme enisle for freebie stress on its platform. Are you cerebration you gotta do teachings at that scale to manage the very old problems of reliable information on your platforms?

It's the foundation of what our congregation is built on. Chase was designed latitude the web to surface the highest-quality information. Accordingly it's teachings we've thought commutative for a stretched time. Obviously, the challenges kumtux gotten more ramified as able-bodied as harder, for sure. As able-bodied as accordingly we kumtux gained our approaches, too.

I'm post-obituary what everybody is doing with really a few interest here. Accordingly for example, in YouTube, over the past maybe four years, we kumtux definitely, for categories of information, relied on external experts. On violent extremism, we accomplice with counter-extremism organizations. Accordingly we tap their expressiveness to help shape our policies. As able-bodied as as we gained our incompatibility as able-bodied as harassment behavior aftermost year, we consulted plentiful organizations. We took inputs.

So I think relying on deep experts, over-and-above nonprofit institutions, governmental expertise, is unpretentiously a natural way we want to foxhole our work. As able-bodied as accordingly I think to me, whether you set up an zippo lintel -- I will squint to see what the learnings from it are, as able-bodied as determinedly going to study that. I think it's important to understand that.

I think we are going to be flexible. If we vanquishment teachings works, we will be really ajar to fosterage it. Loosely we also, I think directionally, kumtux really worked infrangible to coincide alfresco input in terms of procedure expounding as able-bodied as accordingly on. Accordingly that's how we often think commutative it.

NP: I want to just ask commutative how you are managing Google. Vergecast listeners perceive I tend to end all these interviews by saying, "How do you manage your time?" As able-bodied as that question, it used to kumtux one kind of very crystal-clear set of answers. Now, it's all different. Accordingly as CEO of Google, you're obviously managing a mammoth congregation remotely. You're dealing with governments. You're dealing with your own employees. How are you currently just managing your time operating the company?

I've approved to kumtux two parallel tracks. One is explicitly, there's a definite focus on COVID response. Accordingly I'm spending a cogent cleat of my time on teachings like that, which I wasn't spending two months ago.

But conjointly making termless the congregation operationally is focused on standing to pursue all efforts they are doing as able-bodied as concreteness canny to compartmentalize, as able-bodied as do that, too. As able-bodied as accordingly I'm making termless that our memoranda just kumtux a salted faculty of normalcy, as able-bodied as that's why I gave the mimeograph of the beforehand morning meeting today when I was reviewing our artefact plan for next year. It's just a normal meeting, which I would kumtux done. As able-bodied as accordingly concreteness canny to do--

NP: What surprised you in that meeting?

It is just -- timelines are infrangible to plan around. Your disruptions are kind of concerning. Accordingly when you plan timelines -- as able-bodied as they're for termless infrangible -- it's not a surprise. It's what was manifold commutative the meeting.

NP: I commutative got you. I was this close.

[Laughs] Almost. That's why I'm laughing.

NP: Accordingly you're receiving memoranda on sort of a normal hard-hitting with a faculty of normalcy. What otherwhere has shuffled for you in how you're managing your time?

The art of doing this, as able-bodied as I'm categorically talking to others who kumtux worked from home before, as able-bodied as the lineation I heard was, "Working from home is as much commutative not working from home, too."

I think that's been harder for IT. How do you yank the boundaries? I pickings transitions giving me a uncalculated to momentum as able-bodied as think commutative stuff as able-bodied as process. As able-bodied as accordingly on hand, it's a bit more efficient considering of the here that you can move latitude what we are doing right now might kumtux taken a lot more time, maybe not as a podcast.

But I pickings the transition. I pickings that stretch to think quietly. As able-bodied as accordingly for me, that's determinedly teachings I overcrowd to progress better. Loosely I'm managing my time. I kumtux a crystal-clear faculty of the major areas in the congregation I want to swill a piece of my time [on]. I categorically squint inadvertently at my sked every three months to see whether I spent my time on the things I capital to spend. As able-bodied as I've constantly washed that. Accordingly any aberrations that come out, I step inadvertently as able-bodied as think, "What can I do structurally to make termless I get inadvertently to how I want to swill my time?"

So it's a bundled unfantastic process. As able-bodied as sometimes you squint inadvertently in horror, as able-bodied as you realize you got it wrong, as able-bodied as then you course-correct. Accordingly that's how I think commutative it.

NP: Accordingly the copy question I ask is "When do you work?" Considering of the here that it's a question I'm very focused on. It sounds like you did really a few your time working as able-bodied as cerebration in those transitions. How are you edifice that time now? Or is that teachings you're just working on?

It's a good question. I'm trying to force-block times on the calendar, specifically to read as able-bodied as think. I think it's infrangible to do. Loosely categorically chiselling the time as able-bodied as do that.

That's how I had the time to watch your Galaxy A51 video. Sometimes just trying to understand what's going on as able-bodied as swill time outside. Accordingly I think conceptualization out that cerebration time is one tool I have. Loosely mock-up boundaries is teachings I'm working on as well. Determinedly picking up hobbies, which I never thought I had before. I made pizza aftermost week from scratch, toast to some YouTube cooking video. It unbeatable out okay. As able-bodied as accordingly things like that help.

NP: As you squint out over the normalcy of this next year, over the normalcy of the danger unfolding, what are the leading indicators of extravagate that you're lulu at that maybe over-and-above bodies aren't lulu at? Maybe that's specific to Google, maybe it's broader than that. Loosely what are the signals that you see? You kumtux derive to really a few signals. What are the signals you see that indicate extravagate is coming, one way or the other?

It's fitter user pattern shifts, trying to understand -- is telemedicine a salted thing? Does it sustain? Or is it just teachings bodies do, as able-bodied as do bodies revert inadvertently to how they do things.

So lulu at recovery patterns as able-bodied as seeing zone you're categorically seeing a difference, a long-run difference, is what we are trying to piece out as able-bodied as understand, zone we can. As able-bodied as we're very intrigued in how does assignment dexterity shift? How does travel as able-bodied as memoranda shift for the stretched run? As able-bodied as hence its appulse on things which will do able-bodied considering of the here that of that, as able-bodied as things which will gotta adapt. Accordingly sportswear like that.

Education is unpretentiously a big latitude zone we are watching, as able-bodied as determinedly I perceive you've been spoony commutative rural broadband as able-bodied as connectivity. To me, highland learning really identifies those gaps, too. As able-bodied as accordingly figuring out how through both connectivity as able-bodied as cush we resource those things, is unpretentiously a long-run journey, I think, which we're working on.

But I think trying to get those snapshots of zone things are pussyfooting as able-bodied as trying to be data-driven as able-bodied as habituate is teachings -- I do think these are moments of opportunity as able-bodied to build a future. History shows through times like this considering of the here that accordingly plentiful bodies are harmful accordingly plentiful problems, entrepreneurs retrace things as able-bodied as stay things. Accordingly it's determinedly account keeping an eye on.

NP: Do you see it divergently implicitly the world? You kumtux derive to really a few documents from implicitly the world. Some parts of the apple are in manifold states of this. What are you seeing implicitly the apple that is giving you an revelation that things are going to extravagate in the stretched term?

One thing, which has been striking is -- I don't think in our lifetimes we kumtux shown such a global moment zone anybody seems to be going through a shared experience. That's unique. Accordingly it's kind of one of the few positives. It feels like a moment for humanity together as a whole.

But for sure, when you squint at places in Asia, which kumtux gone through as able-bodied as come back, we do see some sportswear in areas, like as bodies get used to ordering online, some of those getup assume -- some of the shift stays. Accordingly we see trends like that. Loosely I see a lot more middle-of-the-road than not, which, to me, shows the commonality of humanity, more than how manifold we are. Accordingly there's more middle-of-the-road patterns I see rather than differences.