Will the joys of discovery and even serendipity be further lost with AI-powered search?
The advent of different forms of Generative AI across all our lives is causing changes in our basic online behaviour. Search is a key part of what we do. Most accept it is a basic utility – a necessity. So here is my question: are we going down a dumber path? Will we be able to differentiate whatever that is served up to us?
For context, few people try hard in search – 91.5% don’t go beyond the first page. Google has started putting in AI-powered summaries from Gemini, Bing is using AI to serve up results. OpenAI has gotten into the search game with SearchGPT. I am watching some of the cognoscenti argue for or against this being a good thing.
I was asked by Siew Hoon to read this article and off I went down a Rabbit (worm) hole.
I love reading and finding reputable data sources are among my passions. I am also a trained researcher.
But, consider the time when we had to go to physical libraries to search. (if you are that old you will remember – if not, then hum along and you will get it). Just the time and bother of understanding the library systems, was really onerous. Then what if that specific resource was not available? Search has so changed everything we do that it is one of the key benefits to our lives as we live them today. Free and easily accessible information access has been a huge boon to all Mankind.
Most of us use regular Google. (Sorry Dogpile, A9 and Bing). If you are a bit geeky – then join me in going into Google Scholar .
There is a tradeoff I find that the article from Professor Hammond somewhat misses. We have traded in our adoption of Google’s world for brain power. The battle royal is really Cognition vs. Volume. There is too much information for us to have an ability to process. Google already reduced choice through its page rank algorithm. Hint if you are not on the first page of Google you are nowhere.
OK so I am a little geeky and go beyond page 2 but typically I have a two-result minimum to validate my search results.
I do think that Generative AI will affect Travel in a few profound ways, but I am struck with a simple question in my head and the nagging feeling will not go away. Will AI ultimately drive more Travel? My gut tells me it won’t. We have already seen Travel powered by algorithm-driven focus drives concentration into certain places. That we have seen is not good. Thus I feel that AI will only accentuate this trend and we will see more and more of it. The joys of discovery and even serendipity will be lost.
The tradeoff between Cognition and Volume in my opinion proves the point. AI will be used to further refine the search process. It will affect how many people actually search deeper so yes… basically AI will make people less smart. I worry that the ability for AI to get things wrong and the reduction in fact checking will just keep us down the dumber path.
Will we know the difference? The causation is most likely laziness. And that has always been the case. I just hope we don’t pin too much reliance on it. I hope there will be specialists who will challenge it – and more importantly that the general populace will listen to them.
Timothy O’Neil-Dunne is Principal at T2Impact Ltd. He is a passionate supporter of transparency of information. You can find him at [email protected]. He will be speaking at this year’s WIT Singapore, “Next Generation”.
