Shant Mesrobian
@shantmm
I'm really not sold on the idea that AI chatbots will replace search. The vast majority of things I use search for do not have definitive answers. They are things that lack clear consensus. Most of the time I am looking to gather various data points, perspectives, studies, and research papers so that I can form my own personal consensus. I have never found chatbots good for this purpose. A chatbot is essentially like talking to one person. And while that one person may provide me with various sources and perspectives, it isn't like consulting those original sources and perspectives directly. A certain amount of editorializing/consensus is still built into the experience. Occasionally there will be something that is more clear cut and a simple answer from a chatbot suffices. This is why the blended version that Google offers with its gemini-powered AI overview works so well and why I currently think Google's UX is currently winning this. Change my mind. https://x.com/gregisenberg/status/1924468459297009829
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Shant Mesrobian
@shantmm
I am, however, somewhat open to the worrying possibility that AI chatbots will replace search not because it is an adequate replacement, but because people will prefer the comforting simplicity and efficiency of false consensus and easy answers over true inquiry. Trading richness, depth, and complexity for broader access and ease of use is a technological pattern that has repeated quite often (blogs to social media, PCs to phones/tablets, etc). So that is somewhat of a concern.
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Adam
@adam-
There’s no substitute for critical thinking no matter what technological era we are in. The simplicity of chat bot responses are also a reflection of the questions being asked. Ask deeper questions and you’ll usually get a deeper response. Granted, most probably won’t, but that’s a problem that goes beyond just technology
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