Google's rising star Pichai is officially in charge

Jon Swartz | USA TODAY

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SAN FRANCISCO — Alphabet may be another zany, unpredictable Google gambit, in the grand tradition of driverless cars, computerized glasses and digital balloons.

There is nothing unpredictable about the anointment of Sundar Pichai as Google CEO.

Pichai, the amiable head in charge of Android, has played an increasingly vital role in day-to-day operations. Since he joined the search engine giant in 2004, Pichai has expanded his product empire to include Android, search, Google Drive, Chrome OS, Maps, apps, Ads and more.

In essence, Pichai was given keys to the $444 billion car he was already driving.

Only Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have more power than Pichai, an advocate for egalitarian ethos who has sketched out a grand plan to deliver computing capabilities to billions of people worldwide.

Pichai's vision was underscored in a guest opinion in USA TODAY in March, when he wrote:

"Just a few years ago, this divide between the digital haves and have-nots looked like it might be an intractable problem. Over 4 billion people — more than half the world — seemed stuck on the wrong side of the chasm, unreachable in any real or affordable way by existing technology, be it devices or an actual Internet connection. But things are starting to look brighter."

Google on Monday announced it will become a subsidiary of a new publicly traded parent company, called Alphabet and run by Brin and Page, and that the Google unit is getting a new CEO: Pichai.

His personal mission is reflected in Now on Tap, a new feature that allows Google searches within apps automatically, and virtual-reality videos stitched together in the computing cloud. At the same time, Google's product vision and so-called "moon shots" seem to be more aligned and headed in the same direction than before.

Box CEO Aaron Levie put it well in a tweet: "Google is focused on everything."

But with opportunity, there also comes risk. Pichai inherits a company that could fall prey to what ailed Microsoft: Trying to take on too many ambitious projects. His greatest skill may be in navigating such a difficult task.

It's been no surprise that the 43-year-old Pichai, who oozes charm without the bombast of most tech executives, was on stage more than anyone else during the Google I/O developers conference here in May. He is, for all intents and purposes, the brains and face behind Google.

Today, his bosses — Brin and Page — made it official.

Follow USA TODAY's San Francisco Bureau Chief Jon Swartz on Twitter: @jswartz