The Power of AI in Search: How Machine Learning is Revolutionizing the Way We Find Information
Artificial intelligence (AI) has already made significant strides in various fields that we have seen for quite some time like chatbots, image recognition, predictive text, speech recognition an a slue of other things but one big area that is going to radically change is search engines. One example of an AI-powered search tool is Chat GPT, which uses machine learning algorithms to understand and respond to users’ natural language queries. I think it is going to take no time at all for people to switch their preferred search to an AI based search, no too dissimilar to how Google got it’s traction in the 90’s. Back in the 90’s search was painful, there were search engines and web crawlers like Altavista & Ask Jeeves and it seemed that overnight Google game in like a craze because it loaded faster and delivered the answer you were looking for in the first couple of web pages rather then looking deep into the dozen or so pages that were often slow to load on dialup or DSL if you were lucky enough to have that. There is every potentially even dethroning Google, the current leader in the market.
Google is currently the largest search engine in the world, with a market share of over 90%. However, the company has faced increasing competition from other search engines and platforms in recent years. YouTube, the second largest search engine, is owned by Google, but it has a distinct user base and search functionality. People tend to use YouTube as a search engine because of its vast collection of user-generated video content, which is often more engaging and informative than traditional web pages.
An AI search engine could potentially challenge Google’s dominance in the market by offering a more personalized and efficient search experience. For example, an AI search tool could use natural language processing to understand users’ intentions and context, providing more relevant and accurate results. It could also use machine learning algorithms to constantly improve its performance over time, adapting to users’ changing needs and preferences.
AI search engines could also use data analytics to gather insights about users’ search habits and preferences, allowing them to tailor their results and recommendations accordingly. For example, an AI search engine could suggest related search terms or topics based on a user’s previous searches, or it could surface content that is popular among users with similar interests. This level of personalization could make AI search engines more attractive to users, potentially leading to a shift away from Google.
When I used AI search for “Give me a recipe for an easy to make chocolate cake” I got the answer right away with a list of ingredients and and simple to follow instructions. When I said “I don’t have baking soda” it’s response was “No problem! You can make this chocolate cake without baking soda by making a few simple adjustments to the recipe. Here’s what you can do…”. If you ask me we have now outperformed Google for a lot of search so when you want to throw it a list of random ingredients and have it recommend a meal no problem.
Google is not standing still, they have already implemented some AI features in its search engine, such as Google Assistant and Google Lens, which use natural language processing and image recognition to provide users with relevant information and recommendations. But they do need to pick up their game quite considerably because I probably get no answer from the Google assistant “OK Google” about 20% of the time with her just not understanding the question or not able to give an answer. Google has also invested heavily in machine learning and data analytics, which could help it stay ahead of the competition in the search engine market.
Despite Google’s efforts, AI search engines could still pose a threat to the company’s dominance in the long run. As AI technology continues to evolve and become more widely available, it is likely that more companies will develop AI-powered search tools, leading to increased competition in the market. In addition, the increasing use of voice assistants and other AI-powered devices could drive demand for more sophisticated and personalized search experiences, which AI search engines are well-suited to provide.
So it is clear that AI is set to shake up the world of search engines in the coming years, with the potential to dethrone Google if the company does not continue to innovate and implement new AI features. While Google is currently the largest search engine in the world, an AI search engine could easily take the second spot and potentially even surpass Google in the long run, thanks to its personalized and efficient search experience. So do you think Google can keep up with the trending tech while keeping their paying clients happy or do you think the ship is too big to steer? My prediction is the only way Google is going to be able to keep relevant is if they replace the “I’m Feeling Luck” button with “AI Answer”. What are your thoughts?
