More women should be in tech products development, says Sundar Pichai

DAVOS: Google CEO Sundar Pichai today said more women need to be involved in development of technology products, amid a debate at the World Economic Forum (WEF) about growing gender inequality.

Speaking here at the WEF annual summit, Pichai also expressed concern over militarisation of AI or artificial intelligence.

"There is a moral imperative to involve more women in the development of technology products, as our technology products are for everyone," Pichai said.


On AI, he said it is probably the most important thing humanity has ever worked on.

"I think of it as something more profound than electricity or fire," the India-born CEO of the global technology giant said.

He asserted that countries must demilitarise AI, saying it is an equaliser and "if you weaponise it everyone will have the same capability and can weaponise it right back".

While noting that it is a good thing that so many people are worried about AI, Pichai said he is an optimist about the future of the internet, technology and AI.

"When we worry about things, then we create frameworks to find solutions," he said, giving the example of climate change.

Pichai also said Google would be prepared to pay more tax.

"Tax is a big question, we pay close to 20 per cent in tax, we are happy to pay a higher amount, whatever the world agrees on. It is not an issue of what tax you pay, it is how you divide it," he said.

Born in Chennai, Pichai took over as Google CEO two years ago.