How Conversational AI Will Change Internet Search

Are Internet Search Engines Becoming Obsolete?

Imagine you have a burning question, like, “Who was Yogi Bear’s sidekick?”

Your first impulse might be to open your favorite browser and type your question in the search bar, and, depending on your search platform, you might get a list of 40,000 webpages that have some variation of the answer. Your Google search might display a snippet with what it deems to be the best answer from a specific website.

In this case, Google showed me an answer from the Encyclopedia Britannica. Case closed. I received my answer in a matter of seconds; however, I don’t need the other 39,999 webpages that appeared in my search results. Heck, I don’t even need to click into the Encyclopedia Britannica to read more.

(Side note: I still remember when a complete printed set of Encyclopedia Britannica books weighed more than a hundred pounds.)

My question was answered by the search platform in snippet form, no clicking necessary. Not even the mighty Encyclopedia Britannica website will receive a click from me.

As a content maker myself, I think, “Gee, Google. Why would you steal a website visitor from me?”

As a general web user, I think, “Thanks, Google! I don’t want to waste my time on crummy websites or in Yogi Bear rabbit holes.”

Now imagine a search experience where you don’t have the clutter of thousands of useless search results and where you can continue the query in a conversational dialogue—and there are no ad placements.

That’s where ChatGPT and other conversational AI platforms come in.

Conversational AI Increasingly Used for General Search

I’ve found myself doing more research within the confines of ChatGPT. It suddenly occurred to me that I was purposely avoiding using traditional search engine platforms in favor of a very robust, conversational-based search experience.

In other words, I skipped Google and went directly to ChatGPT, because I received more focused and insightful results from my ChatGPT queries. For example, I’ve had very helpful dialogues with ChatGPT regarding 90’s downbeat chill music suggestions, historical research on room furnishings in 1910, and then, today, about how increased usage of ChatGPT and similar conversational AI platforms will affect traditional internet search.

Can you believe it? Internet search, which has upset other traditional avenues for information gathering, now has a strong competitor.