SEARCH * MONOPOLY SEARING : GOOGLE'S ESSAY

A federal judge issued a landmark ruling last year, saying that Google has become a monopolist in internet search.

But in a hearing that began recently to figure out how to fix the problem, the emphasis has frequently landed on a different technology, Artificial Intelligence.

The U.S. District Court in Washington last month, a justice department lawyer argued that Google could use its search monopoly to become the dominant player in A.I. Google executives disclosed internal discussions about expanding the reach of Gemini, the companies chatbot.

And executives at rival A.I. companies said that Google's power was an obstacle in their success.

On Wednesday, the first substantial question posed to Google's chief executive, Sundar Pichai, after he took the stand was also about A.I. Throughout his 90-minute testimony, the subject came up more than two dozen times.

'' I think it's one of the most dynamic moments in the industry,'' said Mr. Pichai. 

'' I've seen users' home screens with, like, seven to nine applications of chatbots which they are trying and playing and training with.''

An antitrust law suit about the past has effectively turned into a fight about the future, as the government and Google face off over proposed changes to the tech giant's business that could shift the course of the A.I. race.

For more than 20 years, Google's search engine dominated the way people got answers online.

Now the federal court is in essence grappling with whether the Silicon Valley giant will dominate the next era of how people get information on the internet, as consumers turn to a new crop of A.I. chatbots to answer questions, find solutions and learn about the world.

At the hearing, government lawyers have argued that Google's monopolistic tactics in search could be applied to make its Gemini chatbot a ubiquitous A.I. product.

That cannot be allowed to happen in the emerging field of A.I., the government has said, to ensure that consumers have choice of products for use well into the future.

Google has argued that the court does not need to intervene because the rapid growth of OpenAI and other rivals shows that the market is rife with competition already.

Just how much Judge Amit P. Mehta, who will determine the fixes in the search case, buys into these A.I. arguments could reshape the fierce contest to lead the technology.

Gemini already attracts more than 350 million monthly active users, according to data at the trial. Any measures to hinder its efforts or help its competitors, would have big implications for that race.

The World Students Society thanks David Mccabe.