Earn Your Leisure — "Investing Daily: How Google is Quietly Outpacing Apple and Leading the Tech World"

iHeartPodcasts | Nov 17, 2025
Hosts: Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings

Episode Overview

This episode of the Earn Your Leisure podcast zeroes in on Google's recent ascension as a dominant innovator within the tech and AI world, drawing direct contrasts with Apple’s more conservative approach. The hosts and their tech analyst guests analyze the subtle but significant ways Google has executed its AI vision, its business decisions that keep it ahead of competitors, and offer insights into what investors and observers should note about the shifting tech landscape.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Google: Sleeper or Silent Giant?

• Google's Perceived AI "Sleepiness"

  • Initially, some saw Google as trailing in AI, especially compared to the hype around OpenAI (ChatGPT) and the rapid tech arms race.
  • Tech Analyst 1 argues that Google has "quietly" executed a turnaround, capitalizing on opportunities Apple missed.
  • Quote: “Just at the highest level, when people were even starting to say, well, AI erode their search business completely, they found a way to invest and create AI at a faster scale and it’s a great thing to be in focus because as Apple lost their focus they were able to come in and be a partner.” (02:41)

• Execution vs. Hype

  • Both analysts agree that although Google might seem quiet in the AI race, it’s due to its focus on high-level execution, not lack of innovation.
  • Quote: “They are the quietest of the big tech companies in AI. But that’s because they’re actually executing at…” (03:18)

2. Product Innovation and Gemini’s Ascent

• Early Doubts Replaced by Results

  • Tech Analyst 2 recalls skepticism due to Google’s lack of a flagship AI product a year earlier, but direct communication with Google insiders shifted perspectives.
  • Memorable Story: Google had been watching the show and reached out during the San Francisco All-Star Game, hinting at upcoming major tech releases (03:41).

• Gemini AI Platform

  • Both analysts agree Gemini is now in the “top three” AI products, constantly improving and solidifying Google's place near the cutting edge.
  • Quote: “When we’re talking about AI, Gemini is still one of the top three, right?... And still improving. V3 is incredible.” (04:41–04:53)

• Upcoming Partnerships

  • Recent news about a potential new deal with Apple to power search on their devices further underscores Google’s market strength (04:53).

3. Earnings and Innovation Outlook

• Financial Performance

  • The analysts highlight Google’s recent “phenomenal year,” referencing strong quarterly earnings and “amazing” innovation outlook (04:53).

• Reinventing Search

  • Google’s strategy involves shortening search result pages to keep AI competitors (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude) from easily training their models on Google data.
  • Quote: “In the future they’re going to shorten that search so that models can’t take it... Had they saw that train coming, they would have.” (09:18–09:45)
  • Comparison to Netflix’s crackdown on password sharing as a strategic move (09:45).

4. Strategic Data Play: Cutting Off the AI Pipeline

• SEO and Search Paradigm Shifts
  • Google is reducing the number of search results pages shown, potentially limiting SEO manipulation and excluding competitors’ access to Google’s data (10:18).
  • Quote: “Google has like 30 O’s inside the word. That's how many search engines that they've done to come up with results. In the future... they’ll cut that down to maybe two pages... so that the other companies won’t be able to use that database...” (10:18)

5. Apple: Playing Catch-Up

• Apple’s Relative Stagnation
  • Analysts repeatedly note that Apple appears slow to innovate, often waiting to see how the landscape develops before acting.
  • Quote: “I wish Apple would have done the same.” (11:46)
  • Apple’s focus now seems more on incremental improvement and observation, rather than leading the charge.

6. YouTube: Google's Underrated Asset

• YouTube and Future AI Integration
  • Integration of new AI tools into YouTube will hugely benefit content creators and further cement Google’s dominance.
  • Quote: “Once they figure out how to integrate veil into YouTube for creators... what’s reality at that point?” (11:29–11:37)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• Tech Analyst 1:
  “Google has done everything I wish Apple would have done.” (02:41)
• Tech Analyst 2:
  “The product is phenomenal. When we’re talking about AI, Gemini is still one of the top three, right?... And still improving. V3 is incredible.” (04:41–04:53)
  “When AI like ChatGPT and Claude had to scour the internet, their data source was Google… and now they’re saying in the future they’re going to shorten that search so that models can’t take it.” (09:18)
• Tech Analyst 1:
  “If data's the new oil, they have all the oil and the refineries.” (09:45)
• Tech Analyst 2:
  “Google has like 30 O’s inside the word. That’s how many search engines that they've done… in the future, they’re saying they’ll cut that down to maybe two pages... which is interesting.” (10:18)
• Tech Analyst 1:
  “Once they figure out how to integrate veil into YouTube for creators... what’s reality at that point?” (11:29)

Key Timestamps

• 02:41 — Initiation of the discussion: Google’s shift from perceived laggard to innovative leader
• 03:41–04:53 — Gemini AI’s rise and product insights
• 09:18–10:18 — Data strategies: restricting search data for AI competitors & implications for SEO
• 11:29 — Potential of integrating advanced AI into YouTube

Conclusion

This episode underscores Google’s transformation from an underestimated contender in AI to a quietly dominant force—outpacing Apple in innovation, data leverage, and future tech positioning. The analysts highlight Google’s decisive actions, strong financials, and aggressive yet subtle product improvements, signaling that those looking for where tech, search, and AI are headed should keep a close eye on Google’s next moves.

Main Takeaway:
Google is leading not by noise, but by results—and investors who know where to look can spot the opportunities before the rest of the world catches on.

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