The way we search will never be the same again – Google Gemini

It happens many times that a brand completely takes over an industry, to the extent that its brand name replaces the generic term. For instance, Pampers is often used in place of diapers, Pepsodent instead of toothpaste, Kleenex for tissue, and Google for web searches.

It’s so much the case that we often say “google this” or “google that” because of this.

For years, Google has been synonymous with searching on the internet. It has provided users with a gateway to a wealth of information on the web, translating to over 6 million searches per minute.

However, Google’s recent pivot towards integrating AI into its search process departs from its conventional role.

This change is driven by Google’s own Artificial Intelligence (AI) model Gemini which is changing how we interact with and trust online information.

Google Gemini

Gemini was announced in December 2023 as a tool capable of performing complex analyses and providing users with detailed summaries of search results.

However, the initial demonstration of Gemini received criticism for misleadingly staging the AI output, which caused doubt about the true capabilities of Google’s AI model.

But many times a company will release a promising demo only to be working on the final product in the background.

In May this year, Google started rolling out the Search Generative Experience (SGE) which features a new search layout with generative AI which summarises and highlights important parts of your search query in as few words as possible.

SGE was not without its disadvantages. By prioritizing AI-generated content over traditional search results, Google is effectively reshaping how we access and interpret information.

This approach risks sidelining smaller websites and the diverse viewpoints which made the internet pre-AI what it was.

AI isn’t perfect

AI models like Gemini can produce results that range from incorrect to dangerously misleading. For example, Gemini once suggested a user apply Glue on their pizza to prevent the cheese from sliding off— hysterical, to say the least until someone tries to do it because they saw it on Google.

This and many more examples point to the problem of AI misinformation, which is particularly concerning for users who are not able to discern the accuracy of AI-generated information.

Another significant concern is the impact on small websites and independent content creators. By scraping information from various sources and presenting it as AI-generated summaries, Google is diverting traffic away from the original content creators, slowly killing smaller websites, which rely on direct traffic to sustain their operations.

In this new model, users are less likely to visit individual websites, reducing ad revenue and visibility for smaller players in the online ecosystem.

What you can do

AI is not going anywhere in the foreseeable future. As we move forward with this new AI-driven information, it is important to be mindful of the content around us.

Do not blindly trust AI summaries. Instead, approach AI-generated content with caution and always evaluate the information provided.