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You may have noticed that ChatGPT seems to be getting bigger by the day, and after the recent releases of Google’s search engine assistant ‘Bard’, and the ground-breaking GPT-4 AI model, it seems there’s no sign of AI use slowing down.
But could ChatGPT really replace Google Search one day? Well, in theory maybe… but in reality probably not any time soon.
Let’s take a closer look at ChatGPT, its capabilities, and why it’s unlikely that it will replace Google Search.
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Why couldn’t ChatGPT replace Google Search?
It should be recognised that ChatGPT is certainly both very useful and very popular right now, but there are some fundamental things preventing it from replacing Google Search.
Firstly, from what we can tell, ChatGPT is and will remain a language model.
This means that it is based on language and so can only respond to user prompts in text. A prompt can be a question or a command, and the AI will respond as effectively as possible.
In fact, the new GPT-4 model is multimodal, meaning it can now respond to prompts that are images, like diagrams, or even memes.
Nonetheless, these responses can still only be in text form. This presents the first major difference between GPT-4 and Google Search.
ChatGPT vs. Google Search
Of course, Google Search can deliver things such as website links, images and even navigational directions to users.
At the time of writing, the GPT models are limited to only being able to respond in text, and there is no indication that this will change in the future.
Read More: ChatGPT, AI apps and the future: with Dr Matthew Shardlow
Secondly, Google Search has direct internet access, whereas, for the time being at least, OpenAI’s GPT models do not.
This means ChatGPT is less able to help users with real-time prompts, such as those related to current events.
With Google having access to the internet, it is able to do things like provide users with information on current events. Google’s new AI tool Bard, is especially productive with this.
Read More: Could Google Bard replace Google Search?
Finally, ChatGPT and Google Search are separated most greatly by their general functions, with ChatGPT being a language model, or chatbot, and Google Search being a search engine.
Whilst ChatGPT and its varied responses to user prompts is undoubtedly impressive, in many ways, the scope of what Google Search can do is much wider.
Upon asking ChatGPT a question, the user will receive what is essentially an educated guess at the answer. On the other hand, Google Search can usually redirect the user to the answer itself, whether that answer is in the form of, say, a recent blog post or tutorial video on YouTube.
Therefore it’s safe to say ChatGPT will not replace Google Search any time soon, in that the two services differ largely in what they do, and how they do it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Google have ChatGPT?
Google and ChatGPT are separate services. Google have, however, recently unveiled their own AI chatbot, called Bard.
What is the difference between ChatGPT and Google Search?
ChatGPT is a chatbot, and Google Search is a search engine. A chatbot predicts an appropriate, conversational response to a user in text. A search engine responds to a user’s query with which it deems the most relevant information possible.
