Why the AI race could be upended by a judge’s decision on Google

A federal judge issued a landmark ruling last year, saying that Google had become a monopolist in internet search. But in a hearing that began last week to figure out how to fix the problem, the emphasis has frequently landed on a different technology: artificial intelligence. In US District Court in Washington last week, a Justice Department lawyer argued that Google could use its search monopoly to become the dominant player in AI. Google executives disclosed internal discussions about expanding the reach of Gemini, the company’s AI chatbot. And…