AI search: A new era of information or the end of exploration?

For nearly two years, the world’s leading tech companies have proclaimed that AI will revolutionize the web, transform our lives, and reshape the world. But first, they’re starting with the humble search engine.

The pairing of chatbots and search seems ideal. Traditional Google searches interpret queries and pull up relevant results, while advanced chatbots synthesize information and deliver coherent, useful responses—no need for keyword tweaking or scouring Wikipedia; ChatGPT and similar tools promise to handle it all. Dominating search means influencing how users navigate the internet, effectively shaping the internet itself.

AI-powered search engines

After months of anticipation and limited releases, tech giants are now launching fully-fledged AI-powered search engines. Google recently expanded its AI Overviews to more than 100 countries, potentially reaching over a billion monthly users. OpenAI followed suit, rolling out a new search function for ChatGPT, first to paid users and soon to the broader public. The AI-search startup Perplexity also introduced a feature allowing its “answer engine” to become the default search tool in web browsers.

Matteo Wong, a staff writer at The Atlantic, recently tested these new AI search tools for various purposes—researching articles, following election updates, and completing everyday queries. This experiment provided a glimpse into how billions may soon access and synthesize information. The experience was both convenient and strange, occasionally impressive yet left him questioning whether AI search is a wise direction.

For decades, search has been a known quantity. Millions consider Google the go-to for learning about nearly anything. Enter a question, browse through links, refine your search, and eventually arrive at an answer. This process, albeit indirect and sometimes tedious, is what defines traditional search. It allows users to explore the vast network of information that is the World Wide Web, with each click revealing interconnected insights.

Why AI search?

This sprawling, organic search experience is delightful when diving into a topic deeply. Yet it’s frustrating when you just want a quick biographical fact or a simple brunch recommendation without wading through irrelevant backstories. Increasingly, Google users have noted that the frustrations outweigh the benefits, with search results often cluttered by ads, SEO-driven links, and unreliable information. Generative AI offers a streamlined alternative, delivering direct responses that bypass irrelevant noise—though not always with nuance or insight.

For example, when The Atlantic staff writer Matteo Wong recently searched for reasons behind Kamala Harris’ electoral loss, ChatGPT returned a brief, digestible list of factors. Yet, lacking context and depth, it paled in comparison with Google’s broader spectrum of news analyses that encouraged a deeper dive into American politics and economics.

AI search hazards

AI-powered search faces challenges beyond accuracy. These systems have been criticized for fabricating information, failing to attribute sources, and potentially infringing on intellectual property rights. Despite partnerships with reputable media organizations, the question of how traditional news sites will survive in an AI-driven ecosystem remains unanswered. Although tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overview cite their sources, they seem designed to encourage users to stay within the AI ecosystem rather than exploring beyond it.

The shift from traditional search to AI search could reshape our relationship with knowledge, prioritizing rapid, abridged answers over deep understanding and the exploration of diverse perspectives. Much of the beauty of traditional search lies in discovering unexpected rabbit holes, stumbling upon surprising insights, and nurturing curiosity along the way. With AI search, the journey may be cut short, potentially limiting not only the joy of discovery but the impulse to explore at all, according to The Atlantic article by Matteo Wong.

Reshaping how we access information

As tech giants push forward with AI search, they are reshaping how we access information, with implications for trust, visibility, advertising, and even public opinion. The internet as we know it is changing, yet the public has little say in this transformation. The goal of AI search is to keep users within a single company’s ecosystem, offering only the information deemed relevant. The best searches are goal-oriented; the best responses are concise. For Silicon Valley giants focused on optimizing their businesses and streamlining our lives, this evolution seems a natural progression.

Yet, a little inefficiency in search—those unknown detours and discoveries—has long been part of its charm. AI may bring convenience and speed, but at the cost of a more limited, less wonder-filled online experience. If tech companies have their way, search will move from exploration to extraction, prioritizing immediate answers over curiosity-driven journeys. And in this streamlined future, hyperlinks—the very fabric of the web—may fade into the background, leaving us with an internet that is far less connected and infinitely less adventurous.

Pexels photo by Sanket Mishra (For illustration purposes only)