The biggest trend in tech in the last few months has been the rise of ChatGPT. The AI tool created by OpenAI launched late in 2022, and has reportedly caused Google to go into "code red" mode to create its own AI-based tools to combat it. However, one person who made a disruptive tool for Google in the past says that the company"s search engine ad business is in grave danger.
In a Twitter thread, (via BGR) Paul Buchheit, the creator of Gmail, offers this prediction:
Google may be only a year or two away from total disruption. AI will eliminate the Search Engine Result Page, which is where they make most of their money.
He predicts that typing in the typical search bar could, instead of sending you to a Google search engine page, simply use an AI-based auto-complete feature that will give you an answer to your question. That answer may also include a URL link to a website for more info.
While an AI bot like ChatGPT will still use the search engine backend at Google, The company"s massive ad business could be shut down if the AI doesn"t send traffic to the search page itself. Buchheit compares what might happen to Google to what happened to the print Yellow Pages, which became obsolete very quickly with the rise of the Internet.
Microsoft already has big plans to use ChatGPT. Last week, the company announced a new multi-year partnership with OpenAI that will allow ChatGPT to access Microsoft"s Azure cloud servers. At the same time, Microsoft will expand the use of ChatGPT on many of its consumer and enterprise products.