en

At Google I/O, Sundar Pichai will take center stage amid scandals from freemexy's blog

At Google I/O, Sundar Pichai will take center stage amid scandals
On Tuesday, Google is inviting thousands of developers to its hometown of Mountain View, California, for I/O, its biggest event of the year. The annual confab is Google's opportunity to tout its newest creations for its Android operating system, Assistant software and other popular services.To get more technology news, you can visit shine news official website.

But this year there's even more at stake. It's a chance for CEO Sundar Pichai to address the world, on his home turf, amid what's been the most tumultuous time in the search giant's 20-year history.

Since last year's gathering, Google's biggest issues have spilled into public view. The company's workers have protested against Google's military contracts, its work in China and its treatment of temporary and contract workers. Pichai has also been dragged in front of Congress to defend Google against accusations of political bias.The event comes just days after thousands of employees staged a sit-in at several Google offices to express discontent over alleged company retaliation for a prior protest. Two longtime employees said management had been unfairly targeting them because of their roles in organizing last year's historic Google walkout, which saw more than 20,000 of the company's employees march out of their offices. That protest was aimed at Google's handling of sexual harassment allegations directed at executives.

Google has also faced criticism over YouTube's inability to police the content on its sprawling platform. The video service, a Google subsidiary, has been accused of prioritizing growth over the safety of its users. The blowback crescendoed after a shooter livestreamed himself gunning down worshippers at two New Zealand mosques last month. YouTube wasn't able to contain the video's spread on its platform, and it was uploaded tens of thousands of times.

On Tuesday, Pichai will take the spotlight for his most high-profile address of the year. It's akin to Google's State of the Union, and TV cameras and press will be on hand to hear what he has to say.

Though he may nod toward some of Google's current controversies, he's likely to try to keep the focus on lighter fare: new features and products. In years past, Google has unveiled Glass, its ultimately doomed smart eyewear; Google Cardboard, a do-it-yourself headset that became the launching point for the company's virtual reality efforts; and the Google Assistant, its digital-helper software akin to Amazon's Alexa. Last year, Google simultaneously wowed and creeped out the world with the first demo of Duplex, artificial intelligence software that sounds jaw-droppingly human.

CNET will be on hand to cover Pichai's keynote address and bring you live updates from the conference. Here's what we may see at I/O.

The Wall

No comments
You need to sign in to comment