Google and Bing Add AI to Search Capabilities
AI (artificial intelligence) has already had a major impact on numerous industries. This is not without controversy. For example, the New York Times has recently sued OpenAI on allegations of plagiarism and using copyrighted material because it takes content from other sources. Many artists have also expressed frustration with AI art tools that can “create” new pictures and images simply by taking elements from existing works.
However, controversial or not, it’s clear that AI is here to stay. This is a major technological development, and it is having an impact on the way that search engines work. Let’s take a look at how things are shifting.
Microsoft Invests Billions into AI
To begin with, Microsoft has invested billions in OpenAI, and they are now using AI in their Bing search engine.
Traditionally, search engines provide a list of ranked results when keywords are typed into the search bar. This can still occur, but a search engine with AI can do much more. The user can chat with the artificial intelligence to learn more, they can ask questions and they can dig a bit deeper to try to find what they’re searching for. The goal is still relatively the same, as the user is trying to find information, using keywords, seeking out specific websites and much more. But AI creates a more immersive experience, rather than just a ranked list of results.
Google Gets In The AI Game
The day after Microsoft announced this change, Google announced that it was going to be doing a very similar thing with its search engine. Google, of course, is the most used search engine in the United States. They plan to integrate AI that can provide bullet points, answer queries, provide information and more.
In fact, one spokesperson for Google said that these AI innovations are going to change search forever and that Google’s “story has just begun” even though they have been providing search engine services for 25 years. The spokesperson claimed that Google is reinventing what search is at a fundamental level and making it better than it has ever been, with new tools and abilities to help consumers.
Will Search Work?
What remains to be seen is how effective AI is in this capacity. It is still fairly new and there can be bumps in the road. The aforementioned lawsuit may be one of them. Companies like Google and Microsoft will also have to determine how consumers respond to these AI tools and if they really make use of them in all of the ways that are anticipated.
But it’s clear that AI has changed the way that search engines work, and this is likely just the beginning of that change. It will be very interesting to see what happens over the next 5 to 10 years. To keep up to date with these changes and focus on your online presence, partner with our experienced team here at Content Customs.
