"I do believe the era of 10 blue links is coming to a close. The through-line of technology is that people want more and more convenience at a faster speed. Getting an answer immediately was always going to win out. Google's mission is timeless because of an inherent awareness of this. Before AI, that next frontier was visual search with Google Lens and allowing people to ask about the world without describing it beyond a picture."
"Besides directly getting the answer, I think the under-appreciated advancement made possible by generative AI is both how and what you're able to search. You can ask questions without filtering it for the machine. There's no query translation - e.g., keywords or brevity - that you have to perform. It's being able to spit out what's in your head, including all the rambly context that is helpful for the prompt."
"What you're able to ask and get back an actual answer on is also a genuine step forward. I find that AI in Search is quite good at taking what you're talking about, generalizing the concept, and then finding an answer that matches but is not specifically about the thing you're asking. Of course, there are ramifications of getting an answer immediately."
Search's original mission remains relevant because users seek faster, more convenient answers. The era of ten blue links is ending as immediate, direct answers become preferred. Visual search like Google Lens preceded AI advances, enabling queries without verbal description. Generative AI removes the need for query translation, allowing natural, context-rich prompts and returning generalized answers that match intent rather than exact specifics. Immediate answers affect advertising-supported web economics. The expectation of free knowledge has benefits but raises concerns about sustainability and undervaluing online content and creators. Platforms and publishers require new models to support quality information production.
Read at 9to5Google
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