Published by Dr. Ken – PhD
In 2020, Ruth Porat, CFO of Alphabet (Google’s parent company), faced a critical challenge. The global pandemic had disrupted industries, digital ad revenue was unstable, and competitors were racing to capture new online markets. Porat knew that in uncertain times, survival depended not only on cutting costs but on generating breakthrough ideas.
But where do breakthrough ideas come from? Porat turned to an unlikely source—AI.
“We have vast amounts of data,” she told her team,
“but data alone doesn’t spark ideas. Let’s use AI to help us think smarter.”
The Limits of Human Brainstorms
Traditional brainstorming, Porat knew, had limits. Human teams often suffer from cognitive biases—anchoring on familiar ideas, fixating on the most vocal opinions, or simply running out of creativity. As Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein explain in Nudge, our decisions are heavily influenced by how choices are presented—our “choice architecture.” Porat believed AI could reshape that architecture, helping the team see possibilities they hadn’t considered.
AI as Google’s Idea Engine
With Porat’s guidance, Alphabet deployed AI-driven tools to accelerate ideation across business units. Here’s how it worked:
- Trend Spotting: Using natural language processing (NLP), AI scanned billions of search queries, YouTube comments, and customer reviews to detect emerging trends before they hit the mainstream.
- Idea Clustering: Machine learning models grouped scattered ideas from different departments—ads, cloud services, and YouTube—into opportunity clusters. For example, AI revealed a sharp rise in search queries for “virtual fitness” and “online learning,” suggesting untapped markets.
- Idea Scoring: Advanced analytics from KPMG’s framework helped evaluate ideas based on potential revenue, customer demand, and implementation feasibility—prioritizing the most promising ones.
From Data to Breakthrough: YouTube Shorts
One standout result was the creation of YouTube Shorts, Google’s answer to TikTok.
AI analysis showed a rapid shift in user behavior: shorter attention spans and soaring engagement with short-form video content—especially among Gen Z. Despite skepticism from some executives, the AI models predicted that a short-form platform could drive massive engagement without cannibalizing YouTube’s long-form content.
Porat trusted the data and greenlit the project. Within a year, YouTube Shorts crossed 1.5 billion monthly users, capturing new audiences and ad revenue streams.
KPMG Insight: Why AI Amplifies Brainstorms
According to KPMG, the power of AI in decision-making isn’t just in providing answers but in shaping better questions. AI-driven brainstorming focuses human creativity on the most promising opportunities—turning noise into insight.
AI’s Lesson for Entrepreneurs
Ruth Porat’s success with AI brainstorming holds key takeaways for entrepreneurs:
- Don’t rely on opinions alone—let data spark creativity.
- AI isn’t here to replace human ideas—it’s here to multiply them.
- Test small but act fast—AI helps validate concepts quickly.
As Albert Einstein famously said:
“When making a decision of minor importance, I have always found it advantageous to consider all the pros and cons.”
With AI, leaders like Ruth Porat can consider every possibility—turning brainstorming from guesswork into strategy.
