As the curtain falls on 2025, two seemingly disparate worlds—cutting-edge artificial intelligence and the everyday choices of Australian car buyers—offer a revealing snapshot of how technology and consumer behavior are shaping the future. On one side, Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google, is navigating the most consequential transformation in its 27-year history, pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence and redefining the very nature of how humans interact with information. On the other, Australia’s Drive Marketplace reveals the enduring appeal of practical, familiar vehicles, even as the auto industry itself edges toward an AI-powered horizon.
Alphabet’s story in 2025 is nothing short of dramatic. According to PredictStreet, the tech giant is undergoing what insiders call the “Agentic Pivot,” a move that’s as ambitious as it sounds. No longer content to simply retrieve information, Alphabet is integrating its Gemini 3 model family throughout its ecosystem, aiming to create a world where search engines don’t just answer questions—they perform tasks. This is the essence of the company’s new “Multimodal First” strategy, a direct response to both fierce competition and regulatory scrutiny.
It’s a far cry from the company’s humble beginnings in 1998, when Larry Page and Sergey Brin’s PageRank algorithm revolutionized the web by ranking sites based on link quality. After going public in 2004 and restructuring as Alphabet Inc. in 2015, the company separated its lucrative Google core from its so-called “Other Bets” like Waymo and Verily. The acquisition of DeepMind in 2014, and its later merger with Google Brain, set the stage for the current AI era and the rise of Gemini.
Despite these seismic shifts, Alphabet’s business model remains a formidable “cash machine.” In 2025, advertising through Google Search, YouTube, and network ads still accounts for about 75% of total revenue. Google Cloud, however, has emerged as the company’s primary growth engine, providing infrastructure and the Vertex AI platform for enterprises to build their own multimodal applications. Subscriptions, hardware, and Waymo’s expanding commercial operations round out the company’s diverse portfolio.
The numbers are staggering. In the third quarter of 2025, Alphabet posted its first-ever $100 billion quarter, raking in $102.3 billion in revenue—a 16% year-over-year jump. Net income soared to $35 billion, up 33% from the previous year, and operating margins expanded to 33.9%. The company’s capital expenditure for the year is projected between $91 billion and $93 billion, primarily to support the AI infrastructure boom, including the deployment of Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) and new data centers.
Leadership has been instrumental in guiding this transformation. CEO Sundar Pichai remains at the helm, focused on weaving AI into every product. Demis Hassabis, now leading Google DeepMind, is steering the company’s AI research and the development of the Gemini models. CFO Anat Ashkenazi has brought a laser-like focus on operational efficiency, ensuring that massive investments in AI infrastructure are balanced by cost discipline. Nick Fox, the new SVP of Knowledge & Information, has signaled a renewed urgency for rolling out AI features in Search and Ads.
Product innovation is everywhere. The default global interface for search is now “AI Mode,” which synthesizes text, video, and live data for users. Project Mariner, a breakthrough AI agent, can operate a user’s browser to complete complex, multi-step tasks. Search Live allows users to point their smartphone camera at an object and have a real-time voice conversation with Gemini to diagnose or identify it. NotebookLM, meanwhile, has become a go-to productivity tool, instantly turning documents into podcasts and research briefs.
Yet, the competitive landscape is heating up. For the first time in two decades, Alphabet’s search market share dipped below 90% in 2025, settling at 89.5%. Newcomers like Perplexity AI and OpenAI’s SearchGPT have captured a small but significant share of informational queries. Microsoft and Amazon remain fierce cloud competitors, while Meta Platforms and TikTok are making inroads among Gen Z with discovery-based search and short-form video content.
Regulatory changes have added another layer of complexity. The U.S. Department of Justice’s 2025 ruling bans Google from paying for default search status on Apple devices, a move that could result in a 10-15% drop in search volume if users don’t actively choose Google. The DOJ’s “Choice Screen” mandate requires Google to offer users a choice of search engines across all devices. In Europe, the strict EU AI Act has forced Alphabet to stagger the rollout of some features, while U.S.-China tech tensions continue to limit cloud expansion in certain regions.
Despite these headwinds, Wall Street remains bullish. According to PredictStreet, institutional investors increased their positions after the “September Remedy Decision” de-risked the stock from a potential breakup. The average price target suggests a 15% upside, with analysts praising CFO Ashkenazi’s transparency and commitment to share buybacks.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Australians searching for their next car on Drive Marketplace in 2025 revealed a different kind of preference—one rooted in practicality and reliability. As Drive reports, the Toyota RAV4 was the most-searched car for sale, cementing its place as Australia’s best-selling SUV and the top choice for private buyers in 2024 and 2025. The list, compiled from search data spanning January to December 2025, is a who’s who of familiar favorites: the Hyundai i30 hatch and sedan, the ever-popular Toyota HiLux, and the Ford Ranger, which has been Australia’s best-selling vehicle for three years running.
The top ten most-searched vehicles on Drive Marketplace in 2025 included a mix of SUVs, utes, and small cars, with the Ford Mustang V8 sports car making a surprise appearance among the practical crowd. The Mazda CX-5, Isuzu MU-X, Toyota Camry hybrid, Toyota Corolla, and Isuzu D-Max rounded out the list, reflecting the diverse needs of Australian drivers—from family haulers to fleet favorites and aspirational sports cars.
What’s striking is how these two narratives—Alphabet’s relentless push into AI and the steady preferences of Australian car buyers—intersect. As Alphabet’s Project Mariner and Search Live begin to blur the lines between search, action, and real-world problem-solving, it’s not hard to imagine a future where buying a car, researching a model, or even completing a purchase could be orchestrated by an intelligent agent. For now, though, Australians continue to trust in brands and models they know, while the tech giants race to create the next indispensable tool.
As 2025 ends, Alphabet stands as both a symbol of relentless innovation and a reminder that even the most advanced technology must ultimately serve real human needs. Investors and consumers alike will be watching closely in 2026—whether it’s the retention of search users on Apple devices, the conversion of AI-driven search into transactions, or the next best-selling car on Drive Marketplace. The terrain may be shifting, but the journey is far from over.
