You may perhaps know about Bard, Google’s contribution to the artificial intelligence (AI) race that has been grappling (and crippling) the globe today, and the search giant’s answer to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, an AI platform that is taking the world by storm.
You may also know and be aware of those that say AI is a “catalyst” for change, as it drives down the time spent performing a task, enables multitasking, eases the workload, enables the execution of complicated tasks without compromising costs, and has no downtime.
But, on the other of the spectrum, some experts are saying otherwise. Private financial and investing advice company The Motley Fool said in one of its recent articles that AI is the “biggest threat” to Google and Alphabet right now, not a catalyst. Read further for the details of this news.
Biggest threat
AI is currently a hot and trending topic worldwide. This is even bolstered by the creation of ChatGPT, which you may be using right now. But apparently, some say AI is becoming a significant threat to Google, the world’s leading search engine.
“ChatGPT could eventually have a profound impact on many industries, but it’s targeting internet search engines at the moment. Alphabet’s Google Search is one such platform caught in the crosshairs. Some investors are [concerned] as it apparently was caught flat-footed by the rise of AI-powered chatbots,” The Motley Fool’s Anthony Di Pizio said.
ChatGPT, launched just last November, is an AI platform that can provide you with almost anything you ask, from answering your questions to assisting you with tasks, plus more.
For now, Di Pizio said Google’s position in the market is “okay.” But, AI platforms like ChatGPT can make the search engine obsolete.
“… We might all be using chatbots like ChatGPT soon, and we won’t have to visit them,” he said, pertaining to Google. “They’ll be embedded in many of the applications we use each day, which could make Google Search obsolete.”
ChatGPT has also been incorporated into Microsoft’s Bing search engine and is being incorporated into the Microsoft 365 document suite.
“If you’re a student writing a paper or an employee preparing a presentation using Microsoft 365, this means you might never have to visit Google to conduct research or find the information you need. It will be readily accessible from the program and a mere prompt away,” Di Pizio added.
Chatbots will also power various business sectors
AI will also eventually hurt Google’s advertising revenue, the article in The Motley Fool said. When users move away from using Google, of course, its traffic will decline. If it does, its attractiveness to advertisers will be reduced, impacting Google’s parent company, Alphabet, overall.
Google’s Bard is ChatGPT’s competitor, and Di Pizio is saying Bard will soon be as powerful as the latter, eventually. But, he also noted that there is no guarantee companies would want to integrate two of them into their platforms.
“Right now, ChatGPT is the popular choice, and that first-mover advantage could leave Google playing catch-up for years to come,” he said.
This aligns with companies already building their plug-ins for ChatGPT, such as Redfin and Zillow Group from the real estate sector, and Expedia and Tripadvisor from the travel sector.
The debate on AI will continue.
