Google has rolled out two significant search features: AI Overviews and AI Mode. AI Overviews are summaries of top search results, aiming to reduce clicks on links. Meanwhile, AI Mode is a complete replacement for conventional search, utilizing advanced reasoning and multimodality.
AI Overviews were initially met with criticism, as they demoted content from the web, reducing the need for users to click on links. However, this has raised concerns about the future of the web, which serves as the primary source of data for Google’s AI models.
Google’s latest push into productizing generative AI is driven by competition and fear. The company aims to stay ahead in the AI race but may inadvertently harm the web that supplies it with data.
While AI Mode produces relatively clean answers, its impact on search results and the underlying web structure remains unclear. Some speculate that Google’s pursuit of AI-driven search might lead to a collapse of the marketplace supported by traditional search tools. The long-term effects of this shift are yet to be seen, but one thing is certain – Google’s drive for innovation comes at a cost.
Source: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/google-ai-mode-search-results-bury-the-web.html