In a nutshell, the answer is no; ChatGPT will not supplant the Google Search Engine. While it may capture some traffic, it lacks the capacity to revolutionize the search engine market due to its propensity for hallucination.
But what exactly is ChatGPT if it’s not a search engine?
ChatGPT has made a significant impact in the digital realm for good reasons. It’s user-friendly, free of charge, and boasts a myriad of potential uses. While powerful, it has its limitations, and its capabilities are often overestimated, particularly in tasks like information retrieval.
A critical distinction lies in the AI algorithms at play. Google Search has long integrated AI algorithms, including RankBrain, Neural Matching, Bert, and MUM. For instance, BERT, launched in 2018, assists Google in comprehending natural language, much like the GPT model employed by ChatGPT.
ChatGPT, on the other hand, is a probabilistic language model designed to follow instructions. It generates tokens, sequences of characters and words, based on probability distribution. The difference lies in its inability to understand the world as humans do, leading to what’s known as “hallucination.” In essence, ChatGPT might generate plausible-sounding responses that are factually incorrect, a consequence of its reliance on learned language structures and patterns.
This underscores the need for human oversight, especially when using AI-generated information for important decisions. Hence, ChatGPT is not a viable replacement for search engines like Google.
So, what can ChatGPT be used for?
It’s a text processor, not a search engine. It can code, proofread, analyze, categorize content, and more. But using it as a search engine alternative is not practical.
Regarding competition, Google I/O 2023 revealed that Google is also incorporating AI-generated search results, particularly for highly specific queries. This doesn’t mean AI-generated results will replace all queries, as they are more expensive to generate and can affect click-through rates and text ads.
What does this mean for businesses heavily reliant on SEO?
AI and AI boxes are better suited for informational queries, while users seeking conversion will still need to visit websites. AI boxes might divert traffic from educational content, posing challenges for measuring content utilization.
Content creation is evolving
AI tools like ChatGPT can facilitate quicker and cheaper content production, but the focus is shifting towards shorter, more condensed forms. Originality and quality will become paramount, with AI aiding creativity rather than replacing it.
AI is expanding beyond text generation, encompassing code and software scripts. Smaller AI tools are emerging, offering more flexibility and value. Learning to train your AI models may become a viable option.
In summary, ChatGPT is unlikely to replace Google Search. They serve different purposes, and Google continues to advance its AI capabilities. The AI landscape is evolving rapidly, with multiple players offering high-quality AI tools. The key is to harness their potential effectively.
