Alphabet is far more than a search engine. It operates one of the largest technology ecosystems in the world, spanning AI, advertising, cloud infrastructure, robotics, health science, and autonomous vehicles.
However, unlike many traditional companies, Alphabet constantly launches, restructures, and shuts down projects.
Understanding what is still active versus what has changed is key to understanding where the company is heading.
Still Active and Strategic
Waymo continues expanding autonomous taxi services and is considered one of Alphabet’s most important long-term bets.
DeepMind remains at the center of advanced artificial intelligence research and model development.
Verily is still operating in health technology, although restructuring to become more operationally independent.
Calico continues research focused on aging and longevity.
Google Fiber provides broadband infrastructure in selected regions.
Restructured or Absorbed into Core Google
Intrinsic, Alphabet’s robotics software company, has been integrated more directly into Google’s main AI and robotics efforts.
Several experimental robotics and AI teams have been consolidated under DeepMind and other core divisions as Alphabet focuses resources on fewer, higher-impact projects.
Shut Down Projects
Alphabet has also closed multiple initiatives over time, including the Loon balloon internet project, the Stadia cloud gaming platform, Google Optimize, Google Plus, and various hardware and experimental AI programs.
How Alphabet Operates
The company functions as a combination of a global technology platform, an artificial intelligence research organization, and a venture-style innovation lab.
Core businesses such as Search, advertising, YouTube, Android, and Cloud generate the majority of revenue, while experimental divisions explore future industries that may define the company’s next growth phase.
Understanding this structure helps explain why Alphabet appears to both dominate current technology markets and continuously experiment with new ones.
