Google just took its experimental AI Portraits beyond U.S. borders, launching globally with business guru Scott Galloway as the marquee partner. The expansion into India, Japan, Germany, Brazil, and the UK marks Google's first international rollout of the conversational AI experiment that lets users chat with digital versions of influential figures. Powered by the latest Gemini 2.5 Flash model, Galloway's Portrait draws from over 1,200 pieces of his content to offer decision-making advice in his distinctive voice.
Google is betting that people want to chat with their business heroes, and Scott Galloway just became the global test case. The Google Labs team quietly rolled out its AI Portraits experiment to five new countries today, with the NYU Stern professor and Pivot podcast host leading the international charge.
The move represents Google's first major expansion of Portraits beyond its U.S. testing ground. Users in India, Japan, Germany, Brazil, and the UK can now access what Google calls a "decision mentor" - essentially a chatbot trained to sound and think like Galloway when you're facing tough choices. The timing isn't coincidental; Galloway's no-nonsense business advice has found a global audience through his "Office Hours" content, making him an ideal ambassador for Google's AI ambitions abroad.
Under the hood, Google's latest Gemini 2.5 Flash model powers the experience, trained on an impressive archive spanning Galloway's books, podcasts, blog posts, and YouTube videos. That's over 1,200 pieces of content distilled into a conversational AI that can theoretically channel his perspective on everything from career pivots to investment decisions. The technical achievement is noteworthy - creating AI that doesn't just mimic speech patterns but captures someone's decision-making framework.
But this isn't just about one celebrity professor. Google's international push with Portraits signals broader ambitions for what the company calls "knowledge democratization through AI." The idea: why read a book or watch a video when you can have a real-time conversation with the expert who created that content? It's a compelling vision that could reshape how we consume expertise, though it raises questions about authenticity and the commoditization of thought leadership.
The English-only launch reveals Google's pragmatic approach to global expansion. Rather than tackle complex localization challenges upfront, the company is testing whether Galloway's brand of American business wisdom translates across cultures. Early adoption metrics from these five markets will likely determine how quickly Google scales the concept to other languages and regions.
