What is the difference between today and 20,000 years ago? What's the difference between today and 20,000 years from now? There are of course social and political changes but the key thing that invariably is behind all progress and improvement in society is technology. For instance throughout our entire history as a species we not only had slavery but it often played a key role in day to day life. Then, as we hit the industrial revolution it suddenly began to be rapidly phased out of existence, world wide. By the time it was ended slavery had long since gone from a necessity to a luxury and was well on its way from a luxury to a burden. Technology obsoleted it and society followed. In areas where technology has not completely obsoleted slavery, it still exists to this day.

Amusingly even Socrates predicted as much thousands of years ago, "For if every instrument could accomplish its own work, obeying or anticipating the will of others, like the statues of Daedalus, or the tripods of Hephaestus.. If, in like manner, the shuttle would weave and the plectrum touch the lyre without a hand to guide them, chief workmen would not want servants, nor masters slaves." Technology is, practically by definition, exactly what solves humanity's problems.

Though to be fair, this headline is somewhat clickbaity. The article is not really suggesting that technology doesn't solve humanity's problems. But rather than Google, and to some degree the entirety of Silicon Valley, has entered its twilight phase. And as Google has surprisingly rapidly metamorphosized into the next e.g. Microsoft, it's not an unreasonable suggestion.