TITLE: Google's Josh Woodward Leads Gemini App in AI Race

Google Veteran Spearheads AI Push

Josh Woodward, a 16-year veteran at Google, has emerged as a key figure in the company's efforts to maintain its dominance in artificial intelligence. In April 2025, Woodward was appointed to oversee the Gemini app, the core of Alphabet's AI strategy, while retaining his role as head of Google Labs, which focuses on experimental AI projects.

Woodward's dual responsibilities come at a critical juncture for Google. The company faces intensifying competition from rivals like OpenAI, whose ChatGPT launch in late 2022 ignited the generative AI boom. As consumer habits shift toward AI-powered tools for search, chatbots, image generation and shopping, Google is working to keep users within its ecosystem. Industry analysts predict this transition could erode traditional search revenue if not addressed.

Under Woodward's leadership, Gemini has shown significant progress. By October 2025, the app's monthly active users grew to 650 million, up from 350 million in March. Features like AI Overviews, which summarize search queries using generative AI, now serve 2 billion monthly users. In comparison, OpenAI reported ChatGPT reaching 800 million weekly users in October.

A pivotal moment occurred in late August 2025 with the launch of Nano Banana, a Gemini image generation tool allowing users to blend photos into personalized digital figurines. The feature quickly overwhelmed Google's infrastructure, prompting temporary usage limits to protect its tensor processing units, custom chips designed for AI workloads. "Our TPUs almost melted," said Amin Vahdat, Google's head of AI infrastructure, during a November all-hands meeting.

By September's end, Gemini had generated over 5 billion images and topped Apple's App Store charts, displacing ChatGPT. Nano Banana is now integrating into products like Google Lens and Circle to Search, expanding its reach.

Recovery from Early Setbacks

Google's AI position appeared precarious earlier in 2025. Alphabet shares dropped 18% in the first quarter, the worst quarterly performance since 2022, amid fears that the company was ceding ground as the internet's primary gateway. The promotion of Woodward was announced by Demis Hassabis, co-founder of Google DeepMind, who described it as focusing on the "next evolution" of Gemini.

Woodward, 42, joined Google in 2009 through a product management internship. Originally from Oklahoma, he has built a reputation for efficiency and innovation. Colleagues describe him as adept at dismantling bureaucratic hurdles, enabling rapid product development in a field plagued by AI errors like hallucinations and low-quality outputs, often called "slop."

Clay Bavor, former co-lead of Google Labs and now co-founder of AI startup Sierra, praised Woodward's speed and foresight. "His ability to move fast, break down barriers and execute has landed him right at the center of the most important work at Google," Bavor said.

Interviews with over a dozen current and former Google employees highlight Woodward's commitment to addressing AI's societal impacts. He emphasizes user safety and trust, particularly as AI integrates deeper into daily life, complicating the distinction between real and generated content.

Investments and Market Rebound

Alphabet is committing substantial resources to AI infrastructure to capitalize on anticipated demand. In its October 2025 earnings report, the company raised its full-year capital expenditures forecast to $91 billion to $93 billion, from $85 billion previously. This investment supports the scaling of AI models and hardware.

The market has responded positively. Despite the rough start to the year, Alphabet Class A shares climbed 62% in 2025, outperforming megacap peers like Meta Platforms, which rose 13%. Wall Street sentiment has shifted, buoyed by Google's AI advancements.

In November 2025, Google unveiled Gemini 3, its latest AI model, generating buzz in the tech sector. Woodward expressed enthusiasm in a CNBC interview shortly after: "I’ve never had more fun than right now. It’s partly the pace. It’s partly the abilities these models give to people who can imagine use cases and products."

Bavor noted Woodward's early recognition of large language models' potential for product development, crediting his ability to anticipate technological evolution.

Balancing Innovation and Responsibility

Woodward's challenges extend beyond growth. He must navigate the tension between accelerating development to match competitors like OpenAI and Anthropic, and ensuring AI products do not cause harm. This is especially relevant as AI-generated content proliferates on social media, raising concerns about misinformation and deepfakes.

In a March 2025 podcast with Sequoia Capital partners, Woodward discussed AI's transformative potential, particularly in video generation following OpenAI's Sora launch in late 2024. "When I’m thinking of video, for example, I’m on the side of wanting to amplify human creativity, but there are these moments that happen... and they can change for good or bad," he said.

The November release of Nano Banana Pro drew scrutiny for generating images that blurred AI and reality, including controversial depictions in response to prompts about humanitarian aid in Africa, such as white women surrounded by Black children. Critics highlighted biases in AI outputs.

Despite the high stakes, Woodward maintains a calm demeanor. Colleagues note his disarming laugh and Midwestern friendliness. Caesar Sengupta, who collaborated with him on early projects and now leads AI finance platform Arta, said, "I’ve never seen him get angry with anyone."

Sengupta once jokingly predicted Woodward as Google's next CEO, underscoring his rising influence.

Heading into 2026, Woodward's role will be pivotal as Google aims to solidify its AI leadership. With rivals advancing rapidly, the company must innovate while upholding ethical standards to retain user trust.