Thomas Kurian, the CEO of Google Cloud, shared key insights on the company’s AI infrastructure leadership during his talk at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia and Technology Conference on September 9, 2025. He explained how Google Cloud is driving billions in revenue through AI tools and services while building a strong future with a massive backlog of customer deals.
Key Highlights from the Conference
Kurian kicked off his presentation by pointing out that cloud adoption is still in its early days. Many businesses keep most of their work on their own servers rather than moving to the cloud. He noted differences across sectors, like slower progress in government due to strict rules and challenges in Europe from data sovereignty laws.
He stressed Google Cloud’s focus on business transformation through AI. This shift helps companies not just host apps but change how they operate. Kurian shared that the company now works with nine out of the top ten AI labs worldwide. This shows strong trust from major players in the field.
Enterprise priorities have moved from basic cloud use to advanced AI applications. Kurian gave examples of how financial services and high performance computing users are turning to Google Cloud for their needs.
AI Infrastructure Strengths
Google Cloud stands out with its end to end approach. This includes custom chips, optimized networks, and models like Gemini. Kurian said their systems offer about 50 percent higher performance than rivals. They also provide twice the computing power per unit of energy and 118 times more throughput per system.
Storage for AI has seen huge growth. Data volumes have increased 37 times thanks to AI optimized storage. Optical networking lets teams switch clusters between training and running AI models quickly.
The software side shines too. Tools like JAX, XLA, and Pathways have led to 33 times better efficiency in AI inference over the past year. These gains help customers save money and scale faster.
Here is a quick look at Google Cloud’s AI performance edges:
| Feature | Google Cloud Advantage | Comparison to Competitors |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | 50% higher | Outpaces standard options |
| Efficiency (FLOPS per watt) | 2x more | Better energy use |
| Throughput per system | 118x greater | Handles more tasks at once |
| Inference efficiency gains | 33x in past year | Rapid improvements |
Customer Adoption and Use Cases
Demand comes from four main groups. AI labs lead the way, with most top ones as customers. Enterprises like LG, ServiceNow, and Canva use AI for daily operations. Capital markets rely on AI for quick decisions, and scientific research groups tackle complex problems.
Gemini models have reached nine million developers. The latest version hit one trillion tokens 20 times faster than earlier ones. Google offers models for images, video, audio, time series data, and even molecular design.
Agents are a big hit. The Agent Development Kit works with over 120 companies. The Agentspace platform combines specialized agents for tasks. For example, the Gemini CLI agent has one million users since June. Customer service chats have jumped ten times, and a commerce agent handles five billion transactions.
- AI labs: Nine of the top ten use Google Cloud for training and inference.
- Enterprises: Companies like Radisson Hotels and Virgin Media boost operations with BigQuery and Gemini.
- Financial sector: Moving to AI based inference for faster trading.
- Research: Groups like SSI and LG AI push scientific boundaries.
Monetization and Growth Outlook
Kurian revealed that Google Cloud has already made billions from AI. Their backlog stands at 106 billion dollars, with more than half turning into revenue in the next two years. This points to strong growth ahead.
Ways to make money include pay per use for chips and models, plus subscriptions. Kurian said they build their own tech rather than resell others. This draws in customers at scale.
Data Cloud tools have grown fast. BigQuery usage with Gemini is up 27 times. It handles both structured and unstructured data well. Security features protect against threats, with over 1.5 billion AI powered threat hunts.
Looking forward, Kurian expects continued expansion. AI demand drives this, with 60 percent of funded AI startups choosing Google Cloud. Revenue hit 13.6 billion dollars in the second quarter of 2025, up 32 percent from last year.
Challenges and Broader Impact
Not everything is smooth. Some regions face hurdles like regulations that slow cloud moves. Yet Kurian sees AI as a way to overcome these by offering better tools.
He tied this to recent events, like the Google Cloud Next event in April 2025, where new TPUs and Gemini updates were announced. These build on the momentum from the conference.
AI is changing industries. For instance, healthcare and transportation sectors use Google Cloud for better efficiency. This aligns with global trends toward digital transformation.
The talk shows Google Cloud’s role in the AI boom. With custom tech and strong customer ties, the company aims to lead the market.
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