There is no shortage of chatter surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) and the potential replacement of human skills, particularly as it relates to jobs. But if we’re being honest, many of these same concerns were being raised in the early days of the Internet and search (Google). As we look back at tech innovation waves, new technology often replaces older technology (or set of technologies) as capabilities and societal needs expand. This post will look at how AI replaces the need for Google.

Our Reliance on Google

Over the past 25+ years, society’s reliance on Google has increased tremendously. This early Silicon Valley startup has revolutionized how we interact with information. Since 1998, few companies in any industry have matched Google’s ascent to dominance in the search engine market. Current data suggests that Google commands over 85% of the global search market share.

By 2012, well over a decade ago, a Pew Research Center survey indicated that high school students primarily relied upon Google as an authoritative information resource instead of traditional sources like books and libraries. If we know this to be true, and we do, how did a search engine seemingly replace all conventional sources of knowledge without society noticing and objecting? Much like Mark Twain once described the process of going bankrupt, I would argue that it happened “slowly but suddenly.” Another version of this thought is the famous quote often attributed to Victor Hugo, who pointed out that “there is one thing more powerful than all the armies of the world combined, and that is an idea whose time has come.”

AI is an Idea whose Time has Come.

Much like Google, AI, and specifically generative AI, are revolutionizing how humans interact with the world of technology. We can look up sources for nearly any information request in a moment, as with Google. And now we can even ask AI for answers directly.

One of the main drawbacks currently with generative AI searches (and with Google) is that the system doesn’t remember very far back, if at all. In other words, what you asked last week, month, or year will not be factored into a search you’re asking today. However, that capability, known as infinite memory, is likely coming in 2025. So, in the future, every search you’ve performed will be remembered and connected to the other ones. This brings immense possibilities for an incredible user experience and significant data privacy concerns.

An application of AI that can potentially surpass traditional Internet search is the concept of Agentic AI. Soon, many of us will be able to use AI as a personal assistant or health coach in an autonomous driving system or even provide a medical diagnosis with little prompting, if any. This type of AI can communicate with other AI systems, increasing productivity and processing without human intervention. However, agentic AI brings many ethical risks related to safety, accountability, data privacy/security, and other important considerations.

Another exciting AI application that surpasses search, ironically developed by Google, is Notebook LM. This (currently free) tool allows anyone to upload a document (or set of documents) into the system. The AI in Notebook LM will summarize your documents and create an engaging deep dive podcast episode about your topic(s) with minimal prompting. To learn more about Google Notebook LM, you can view the homepage at: https://notebooklm.google/

In summary, AI is currently supplanting traditional Internet search; the tools and capabilities of this technology are getting exponentially better every day. We are just getting started with the AI wave, and it is nearly impossible to predict its impact on society for years to come.

Reflection Questions:

  1. In what additional or similar ways do you see AI replacing Internet searches and information requests?
  2. What other emerging uses of AI are you familiar with?
  3. What ethical considerations do these ideas raise for you? Do the benefits of such technology/automation outweigh the risks? Explain.