Google Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai said the company is currently trailing Anthropic in agentic AI coding capabilities, particularly in complex software development tasks that require sustained work across large codebases. Pichai acknowledged that Google faces b competition in the field but said the company is moving quickly to narrow the gap through new AI models and technical improvements.
Speaking about Google’s position in AI coding tools, Pichai said the company remains behind some competitors in agentic coding and advanced software development functions, especially in scenarios where developers work on large and complex projects over extended periods. He said software development has historically been one of Google’s core strengths, making improvements in the sector a company priority.
According to Pichai, Anthropic’s AI tools are performing better in handling large and complex programming projects, particularly tasks that require AI agents to follow instructions over longer durations and make continuous modifications to extensive codebases.
Pichai said Google continues to maintain b capabilities in broader AI functions, including text processing, multimodal AI, voice, audio and advanced reasoning, and described the company’s models as among the leading platforms in these areas.
He also said limited access to useful developer ecosystem data has contributed to Google’s slower progress in agentic coding. In contrast, Pichai said companies such as Anthropic gained an early advantage by establishing a ber presence among developers through widely used AI interfaces.
To address the gap, Pichai said Google is continuing to improve its Gemini platform and develop new AI models intended to strengthen agentic coding and developer tools.
Pichai said Google is not currently at the top in agentic coding but added that the AI industry is evolving rapidly and that competitive positions may change as technology advances. He said the company remains focused on building tools that can provide greater support to developers working on long-term and complex software projects.
Pichai’s remarks come amid increasing competition in AI-powered coding tools as technology companies expand efforts beyond chatbots and into software development capabilities.
