Google Search is obsolete

New AI tools have me wondering: Why would anyone use Google Search anymore?

“Google it” has been synonymous with “use the internet to find something out” for nearly a quarter of a century.

The LLM-based generative AI trend launched by the public availability of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, will, or should, change all that. In the past year, several AI-enhanced tools have emerged that give you far better results than Google Search.

And I’m not talking about ChatGPT, which should not be used as a search engine. I’m talking to YOU, young readers. A Bloomberg Intelligence survey found that some 60% of respondents between the ages of 16 and 34 prefer ChatGPT results over Google Search results.

ChatGPT hallucinates authoritatively. It confidently gives you a great answer, which is often totally wrong. Same goes for Google’s own Bard.

The best informational tools do something like a Google Search, then apply AI pixie dust to the results. Specifically, they hoover up the content from the top search results, and run that through an LLM, giving you a few sentences or paragraphs representing the consensus, plus the links themselves so you can read those pages if you like. Also: The best tools give you leading questions at the bottom for further exploration.

Here are three options that are better than Google Search: Phind, Perplexity and Arc Search.

Phind

I’ve been recommending Phind in this space for months. It’s a great, basic tool (ostensibly designed for developers, and some results offer actual code) that will give you answers instead of links. Phind is available only in a browser and does not have mobile apps. On the plus side, Phind is free. You can pay more, but that just gives you more searches and faster speeds, for the most part.

Perplexity

Perplexity is a very solid Google Search alternative. Best of all, it’s available in a browser and in mobile apps for both iPhone and Android. The free version is great, and paid versions even better. In the paid versions, you can choose models (Claude or GPT-4) and gain access to the company’s API.

Arc Search

The Browser Company of New York is one of the most innovative startups in tech right now. The Arc browser for macOS is innovative and supports all Chrome browser extensions. The companies latest offering is called Arc Search, and it’s for iOS only for now. When you search with Arc Search, you’re given an option that says “Browse for me.” The result first shows the handful of sites where it will extract results. Then it gives a kind of bullet-point list of concise facts. Below that, it will contrive information categories under which additional bullet-point facts are displayed. And, at the bottom, under the heading “Dive Deeper” you’ll find links to more sources. Of all the Google Search alternatives out there, I like Arc Search best. The app is also a browser, and has a lot of other features. The downside is that it’s iPhone only.

If you’re still using Google Search, or using ChatGPT as a search engine, I highly recommend that you start using these three tools. Once you realize how much better they are than regular Google Searches, you’ll never want to use Google Search again.

---

Mike’s List of Shameless Self-Promotions

1. 10 must-have security tips for digital nomads

2. Why return-to-office mandates fail

3. 2024 will be ‘The year of AI glasses’

4. Read ELGAN.COM for more!

---

Mike’s Location: Sydney, Australia

(Why Mike is always traveling.)