Artificial Intelligence: Will Chatgpt Really Replace Google?
According to Bill Gates, rapid advances in artificial intelligence could make traditional search engines like Google obsolete. In its 25 years of existence, this indispensable search tool has not changed much. But the advent of AI could radically transform the way we search and shop on the web. We explain how ChatGPT or Bard interfaces could soon replace search engines.
Artificial intelligence, a revolution in progress.
According to Bill Gates, the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence will deeply disrupt our habits of searching on the Internet and online shopping. At the AI Forward 2023 event in San Francisco, the Microsoft founder predicted that soon, internet users will no longer need classic search engines or online shopping platforms like Amazon. Today, people are increasingly using Google not to find a specific web page but rather to answer a question. However, conversational robots like ChatGPT will soon be able to answer all our questions and even our needs. In just a few months of existence, ChatGPT has made keyword searches and Google's result pages where you have to sort through a list of links obsolete. Opening these different links one by one seems tedious and time-consuming when it is enough to converse with a chatbot to get a direct answer.
Enhanced generative AI-powered search tools.
Faced with the disruption created by conversational robots like ChatGPT, web industry leaders have begun to modify their own tools. Microsoft led the way by integrating a chatbot modeled on ChatGPT into its Bing search engine. The new Bing launched in early May 2023 directly responds to users' questions by providing a summary of available information, followed by links and ideas for further discussion with the conversational robot.
Meanwhile, Google wasted no time in boosting its search engine with generative AI. Google's development teams have worked hard to integrate an AI nicknamed Magi based on the Bard chatbot into their search engine.
This new version of Google is expected to be gradually opened up to test users, initially only in the United States. No official release date has been announced at this time.
Easier and more intuitive use.
You may be wondering what these new developments will change for internet users like you and me... With these new tools, when you search for an answer to a question, you will no longer need to break down your query into keywords. The AI-powered search engine will do most of the work for you.
And if the answer doesn't satisfy you, you'll still have the option to refine the results by asking additional questions.
Regarding this new way of searching for information online, Elizabeth Reid, Google's Vice President of Search, explained: "We're trying to make the process more natural and intuitive, as easy as asking a friend who is an expert in all fields."
Google and Microsoft have also started integrating generative AI tools into their various services, from the cloud to the office suite.
A threat to the economic model of the internet.
If you fear that the famous Google search bar will disappear from your screens because of artificial intelligence, don't worry! Keyword searches on Google will not disappear overnight.
Already with the arrival of Google, Alexa and Siri voice assistants, we had feared that everything would change and people would start talking only to machines. But that didn't happen.
However, the rise of generative AI could question the internet's economic model based on advertising and clicks. Thanks to chatbots, users will be able to find the answer or product they need without having to click on links.
The big question that Google and other web players are facing is whether we can revolutionize search tools through AI without losing advertising revenue. Regarding this, Elizabeth Reid said, "We cannot predict the future, but I think ads will continue to play a vital role."
