Summary

Google's shift from search engine to AI summary tool (via Gemini) is dangerous for 2 reasons:

1. Transitioning from **curating sources of information** to **interpreting and presenting information** will lead to more people uncritically accepting what they are told by Gemini rather than putting in effort to read primary sources.
2. Devaluing primary sources will erode reliable information over time. As the prevalence of reliable information fades, so too will the reliability of Gemini and other LLM AI models that train on this data. (See my post about Cyabra https://cyabra.com for a deeper dive)

Breakdown

• Google holds over 80% of the search market currently.
• Google is transitioning from a search engine to an AI summary tool.
• This is largely because Google’s business model incentivizes keeping eyes on Google’s website
• Google's AI program, Gemini, is being integrated into everyday searches.
• This shift could lead to algorithms dictating what people think they know.
• Gemini suggested adding Elmer's Glue to pizza sauce for tackiness and using gasoline to make a spicy spaghetti dish.
• AI summaries could kill off small websites by scraping their content.
• Younger generations may be more susceptible to believing AI outputs.

Quotes

• "Google is headed down the road of thinking for people."
• "Google is choosing a business model that will choke out a very large portion of the entire internet."
• "[Gemini] [M]istakes come from generally very uncommon queries."
• "Google intends to have AI summaries for top results when you search for pretty much anything."
• "This road looks like the death of the internet that I used to know and love."

Recommendations

• Avoid trusting AI summaries and seek primary sources instead.
• Critically evaluate information before accepting it as true.
• Verify information from multiple sources before believing it.
• Educate others about the potential dangers of AI misinformation.
• Stay informed about changes in technology and their implications.
• Encourage critical thinking and skepticism in younger generations.

References

• https://blog.google/products/search/generative-ai-google-search-may-2024/
• https://gizmodo.com/ai-detectors-inaccurate-freelance-writers-fired-1851529820
• https://www.citizen.org/article/mushroom-risk-ai-app-misinformation/
• https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/24/24164119/google-ai-overview-mistakes-search-race-openai