AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton, often called the "Godfather of AI," believes Google is now beginning to overtake OpenAI in the race to develop advanced artificial intelligence. Speaking to Business Insider in a Tuesday interview, Hinton said he finds it surprising that it took Google so long to catch up, especially given its deep resources and foundational contributions to the field. “I think it’s actually more surprising than it’s taken this long for Google to overtake OpenAI,” said Hinton, a professor emeritus at the University of Toronto who played a key role in developing neural networks during his tenure at Google Brain. He pointed to Google’s recent advancements, including the launch of Gemini 3, which many in tech believe has elevated the company beyond OpenAI’s GPT-5 in performance and capability. Google’s Nano Banana Pro AI image model has also gained widespread acclaim. Three years after Google reportedly declared a “code red” following the release of ChatGPT, the tide appears to be turning. Recent reports suggest OpenAI is now sounding alarms internally as Google gains momentum. “I think that right now they’re beginning to overtake it,” Hinton said of Google’s position relative to OpenAI. One major factor in Google’s advantage, according to Hinton, is its ability to design its own hardware. “Making its own chips is a big advantage,” he said. “Google has a lot of very good researchers, obviously a lot of data, and a lot of data centers.” Hinton noted that Google was once at the forefront of AI innovation. “Google invented transformers,” he reminded. “Google had big chatbots before other people.” However, the company held back due to concerns over reputation, particularly after Microsoft’s 2016 launch of Tay, a chatbot that quickly began posting offensive and racist content and was shut down within 24 hours. “Google, obviously, had a very good reputation and was worried about damaging it like that,” Hinton said. Google CEO Sundar Pichai has previously acknowledged the company was cautious, stating that their early chatbot wasn’t ready for public release due to unresolved issues. Google has had its share of missteps, including pausing its AI image generator last year after users reported historically inaccurate and racially biased outputs. Its initial AI search overviews also generated absurd advice, such as recommending glue to keep cheese on pizza. Despite these challenges, Google’s recent progress has been significant. The company’s stock rose on reports of a potential billion-dollar deal to supply Meta with its own AI chips, further strengthening its position in the AI supply chain. In a gesture honoring Hinton’s legacy, Google announced a $10 million CAD donation to the University of Toronto to establish the Hinton Chair in Artificial Intelligence. The university will match the gift. Hinton, who left Google in 2023 due to growing concerns about AI’s societal risks, has since become a vocal critic of unchecked AI development, warning of potential job displacement and the risk of machines surpassing human intelligence. In 2024, Hinton was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his groundbreaking work in neural networks. Google praised his contributions, saying, “Geoff’s work on neural networks — spanning his time in academia and his decade here at Google — laid the foundation for modern AI.” The new chair, the company added, will help recruit future leaders in fundamental, curiosity-driven research.