Google are a company whose core organizing principle is using statistical methods over obscene amounts of data. Apple is a company whose core organizing principle is selling desirable consumer products with class-leading design through the single most impressive physical supply chain in the world.

OP has a point.

>whose core organizing principle is using statistical methods over obscene amounts of data.

Sure. And we didn't use to call them "AI companies".

When someone says "Google is an AI company" they're obviously not talking about AGI but about applied stuff like ML and IR.

Well, then how about "Google is an ML company"?

Though I fail to see any application of machine learning to write home about in their core business -- ads.

Search yes, they do a good job on that.

But given the amount the data they have on us (browsing history, profile, mails in Gmail) has anybody been that impressed with any targeted ad? I've seen targeted ads from "dummy" networks like the Deck that are 1000% times better for my interests.

> Well, then how about "Google is an ML company"?

Sure, that's fine, but since ML is generally considered to fall under the AI umbrella your statement is more precise but not more correct.

> Though I fail to see any application of machine learning to write home about in their core business -- ads.

I know basically nothing about our ads (I work for Alphabet), but I believe there is some kind of ML involved.