Alphabet, the parent company of Google, has reaped significant financial rewards by extending the working life of its hardware. The decision to elongate the lifespan of servers and networking equipment, made in 2021 and further extended in 2023, translated to a $3 billion boost in net income for the company, according to its full-year results released on January 29, 2024. In the final quarter of 2023 alone, Alphabet reduced depreciation expenses by $983 million, contributing to a net income increase of $765 million. Despite the success of this cost-saving measure, Alphabet's capital expenditure in the fourth quarter, totaling $11 billion, was primarily directed towards investments in technical infrastructure for AI services, highlighting the company's commitment to the future of artificial intelligence.
Alphabet's CEO, Sundar Pichai, remains optimistic about the returns on their investment, particularly in Google's subscription business, which now generates $15 billion in annual revenue. Pichai hinted at a forthcoming AI subscription service tied to the Gemini Ultra model. While the company reported a Q4 revenue of $86 billion, up from $76 billion in 2023, and impressive profits for Google Cloud, Alphabet's shares faced a decline in after-hours trading, possibly prompting the organization to turn to its growing AI initiatives as a means to address market expectations and enhance advertiser effectiveness through generative AI technology.
