Can Google Gemini Keep Up the Pace in 2026?

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL | GOOGL Price Prediction) has had such an incredible run in 2025, and despite the increased choppiness in the Magnificent Seven in January, shares of Alphabet have held steady. With Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) shares experiencing a slowing of pace, perhaps Alphabet has what it takes to rise to the very top of the market cap leaderboards, something I predicted in prior pieces, thanks primarily to Gemini 3.0.

Of course, the latest and greatest from Gemini seems to have put its top rival, OpenAI, on the ropes. While ChatGPT-5.2 is a decent response, it might not be able to slow Gemini’s impressive user growth in its tracks. What’s more, Google seems to be leveraging Gemini in more ways than one to create new apps, tools, and features to enrich the experience of its users.

Google might have the absolute best AI strategy, and monetization might not be too far behind

Google isn’t just merely sprinkling its AI across its existing apps; it seems to be finding organic ways to bring out the best in the apps across its ecosystem. I think it makes the Google walled garden that much stickier, especially as AI chatbots become hyperpersonalized (access to Gmail, Sheets, Docs, and other apps bolsters this relative to rivals) and far more useful for the everyday user.

Add the rise of agentic AI into the equation, as well as the phenomenon that is AI coding (Anthropic’s Claude Code has taken the world by storm), and it’s tough to envision a scenario in which Gemini runs out of steam. And, of course, there’s the Gemini-backed app releases we don’t see coming that might be able to further strengthen Google’s edge as it looks to become a premier monetizer of the technology. If Gemini can become increasingly useful, I believe that monetization will not be too far behind.

In any case, Gemini stands out as a main attraction, and as it finds its way into Apple‘s (NASDAQ:AAPL) upcoming Siri update, which is poised to serve billions of devices, it certainly feels like Google might widen the gap as it sprints ahead in this AI race.

Perhaps there was a reason why Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK.B) finally decided to take a stake in the company. The multi-trillion-dollar question moving forward, though, is whether Berkshire has had its helping after the latest parabolic run in the stock. My guess is that Alphabet stock could be the next generational Mag Seven name to stick with for the next several years.

Google’s “flooring it” with the AI offerings of late

Since Gemini 3.0 arguably just “changed the world once again,” it feels far too soon to look ahead to Gemini 4.0, which could be around a year away. Either way, as we move through the year, it will be interesting to see how the AI model advances as integration, agentic AI, and, perhaps most importantly, a new slate of AI-native platforms look to hit the ground running.

Whether we’re talking about the release of the world model Google Genie, which can create interactive 3D environments, or Google Antigravity, the agent-led development platform, there’s been a ton of disruptive innovation coming out of the Google AI pipeline of late.

Just last week, Chrome’s “auto browse” agent landed for certain paid Google AI users. Indeed, these are profoundly powerful AI-first technologies that I think could cause further ripples through the software industry. And there might be more platforms and AI-led apps to come through the year. 

In many ways, it feels like AI has been moving way too fast in the past couple of months. And while investors might not be ready for the pace of innovation, I do think sticking with Alphabet shares is a good move, given it’s not showing any signs of slowing down. Arguably, the pace of innovation could accelerate further as a result of the firm’s effective leveraging of AI to “supercharge” its workers via”project EAT.”

If some of Google’s new Gemini-powered innovations do change the world (and I think there’s a good chance of this), I’d argue that the stock’s 30.0 times forward price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple doesn’t do the AI innovator justice. Take profits in Alphabet stock, if you will, but I think there’s a clear runway for shares to keep marching higher.