Google’s AI comeback: Has the sleeping giant finally awoken?

Google has been criticised for years for lagging behind OpenAI, especially after ChatGPT exploded in late 2022 and reshaped the AI landscape. Yet the company’s recent streak of breakthroughs has triggered a dramatic reappraisal. 

At the centre of this shift is Gemini 3, Google’s newest flagship AI model, which has impressed analysts with its performance in reasoning, coding and specialised tasks that traditionally stump chatbots. As demand grows for both cloud compute and Google’s custom AI chips, investors are beginning to question whether Google’s comeback is already underway - and whether the AI race is entering a new phase.

What’s driving Google’s resurgence

Alphabet has gained substantially since mid-October, sending shares to $323.64 and bringing it within reach of the $4 trillion club. 

Google’s return to form is rooted in a combination of technical breakthroughs and strategic repositioning. The launch of Gemini 3 captured global attention after the model surged to the top of AI leaderboards such as LMArena and Humanity’s Last Exam, winning praise from analysts and technologists for its reasoning ability and performance on complex science tasks 

Its improved reliability in generating images with accurate embedded text - a challenge that has plagued many chatbots - signals a maturity necessary for enterprise adoption. At the same time, Google has refreshed its AI product suite, including updates to its viral Nano Banana generator, which reinforces momentum across both consumer and developer segments.

The second force propelling Google forward is its deep investment in infrastructure. Once criticised for falling behind Microsoft, OpenAI and Nvidia, the company now benefits from rising demand for Google’s Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) - a specialised chip architecture Google has refined for over a decade. 

Reports that Meta is in talks to deploy Google’s chips in its data centres by 2027 triggered a rally in Alphabet stock, demonstrating that Google’s hardware ecosystem may finally offer a meaningful alternative to Nvidia’s dominant GPUs. Partnerships with Anthropic - potentially involving up to 1 million TPUs - further signal a structural shift in AI compute preferences.

Why it matters

Google’s resurgence has implications far beyond its own balance sheet. As Neil Shah of Counterpoint Research put it, “Google has arguably always been the dark horse in this AI race — a sleeping giant now fully awake.” . If Gemini 3 continues to outperform expectations, it may reshape competitive dynamics between the three pillars of modern AI: OpenAI for model innovation, Nvidia for hardware, and Microsoft for cloud and enterprise distribution. A strengthened Google challenges this equilibrium, creating new strategic options for companies seeking alternatives to Nvidia’s high-cost GPUs or Microsoft’s deep integrations with OpenAI.

The return of competitive balance is also important for consumers and regulators. Google escaped the most severe outcome in a US antitrust case partly because AI competition has intensified. If Google proves it can innovate at scale, it may relieve pressure on regulators while accelerating the adoption of AI products beyond search advertising. 

Units like Waymo, which is expanding into multiple cities and now supports highway driving, illustrate how Alphabet’s deep research pipeline fuels progress beyond software. The question is whether Google can convert technical superiority into commercial leadership - something it has historically struggled with outside advertising.

Impact on industry, markets and consumers

Google’s ascent poses both opportunity and disruption across the tech landscape. Nvidia, which lost $150 billion in market value on the day Meta’s chip discussions were reported, now contends with the prospect of a viable alternative for certain AI workloads. While Nvidia insists its GPUs remain the industry’s Swiss Army knife - flexible, widely supported, and essential for model training - TPUs give Google a niche advantage. As ASIC-based designs gain traction, analysts expect custom silicon to grow faster than the GPU market over the next several years.

This shift has a significant impact on the broader cloud industry. Google Cloud, which generated $15.2 billion in third-quarter revenue - up 34% year-on-year - remains behind AWS and Microsoft Azure, but the demand for generative-AI compute is narrowing the gap. 

Companies attracted by TPUs' cost efficiency may choose Google Cloud for specialised workloads, while still relying on Nvidia GPUs for general tasks. For consumers, the competition translates into better AI experiences: models with stronger reasoning, fewer errors, and safer behaviour.

Across financial markets, Alphabet’s rally affects index weightings and rotation patterns. As traders reassess Google’s valuation, volatility in Nvidia, AMD, Microsoft and Meta increases - creating opportunities for directional and event-driven strategies on platforms like Deriv MT5, where both tech stocks and index CFDs see heightened activity during AI-driven shifts. Tools such as the Deriv Trading Calculator help quantify margin impact and manage exposure as market reactions intensify.

Expert outlook

Forecasts for Google’s next phase remain divided. Some analysts argue that Google’s resurgence marks a long-awaited payoff from its “full-stack” strategy - controlling data, models, chips, cloud and applications. CEO Sundar Pichai emphasised during the last earnings call that this unified approach “really plays out” when scaling frontier models that integrate reasoning, multimodal capabilities and advanced coding. If Google continues to refine its ecosystem, it could rival or surpass OpenAI in enterprise adoption while weakening Nvidia’s dominance in hardware.

Yet uncertainties persist. Data revealed consumer adoption of Gemini still lags behind that of ChatGPT, with 650 million users compared to ChatGPT's 800 million weekly users, and monthly downloads of 73 million, which trail ChatGPT’s 93 million. Google Cloud, although accelerating, is still half the size of AWS and Azure. 

It was noted that if Google cannot convert its technological strength into sustained commercial traction, the gap could widen again. Much will depend on whether Meta and other AI-intensive companies formalise their TPU commitments and whether Gemini 3 continues outperforming rivals in real-world deployments. The next six to nine months will be decisive, according to analysts.

Key takeaway

For market watchers, Google’s rapid AI resurgence suggests the company has moved far beyond its defensive posture of recent years. Gemini 3’s strong performance, rising TPU adoption and fresh cloud momentum have revived Alphabet’s standing in the global AI race. Yet the outcome is far from settled. 

The next phase hinges on whether Google can scale its breakthroughs commercially while sustaining hardware and model performance. Traders and analysts await confirmation from enterprise adoption, chip-supply agreements and quarterly cloud-revenue growth - the indicators that will decide whether this comeback becomes a lasting transformation.

Alphabet technical insights

At the start of writing, Alphabet (GOOG) has broken into a price discovery zone above $323, signalling strong bullish momentum after an extended run along the upper Bollinger Band. Key supports sit at $268.75 and $240, where a drop below either level could trigger sell liquidations or deeper pullbacks.

The RSI, now around 74, is approaching overbought territory, highlighting stretched conditions that may lead to short-term cooling or consolidation, even as the broader trend remains firmly upward.