Alphabet’s Illusion of Progress

Alphabet, they call it. As if a string of letters could contain the ambition—or, more accurately, the relentless pursuit of something resembling meaning—in this age of manufactured consent. The company, a sprawling behemoth built on the backs of harvested data and the fleeting attention of humanity, is currently experiencing a surge, attributed, naturally, to this “artificial intelligence” fad. One might almost suspect a conjuring trick, a digital pact made with forces best left undisturbed. The stock, predictably, is soaring. One wonders if the pigeons in the square are also experiencing a corresponding uplift in their fortunes.

The engine of this illusory progress, it seems, is Google Search. Over half the revenue, they boast. A comforting statistic for shareholders, no doubt, but one that obscures the fundamental absurdity of it all. We type our anxieties, our trivialities, our desperate searches for meaning into a box, and this company monetizes our existential dread. Gemini, the latest iteration of this digital sorcery, is apparently responsible for a doubling of queries in “AI Mode.” One pictures a legion of algorithms diligently confirming our biases, offering tailored echoes of our own emptiness.

They speak of longer, more “conversational” searches. As if the machine is listening, truly listening, to our rambling pronouncements. It is merely processing, calculating, optimizing for ad revenue. The increased engagement, the prolonged exposure – it is not a connection, but an extraction. A subtle draining of our vital energies. And, of course, more opportunities to display advertisements. The modern equivalent of selling indulgences, perhaps? A digital absolution for our insatiable appetites.

The company is spending lavishly on data centers, these cathedrals of computation. A necessary investment, they claim, to fuel further innovation. One suspects, however, that it is merely a means of solidifying their dominion, of ensuring that the digital panopticon remains firmly in place. The price-to-earnings ratio, a mere 28 times, is presented as a sign of value. A bargain, they suggest. But what, precisely, is one buying? A share in the future? Or merely a fleeting illusion of control in a world spiraling towards chaos? The devil, as always, is in the algorithm.

2026-02-13 01:53

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