I Have Seen The Future!

Part 2: The Exciting Conclusion So Far!

This article is a follow-up to an older post. Please click here to read up on my primer on AI and Large Language Models, it’ll come in handy for this article.

Although rumors have somewhat mellowed in recent months, many major search engines were test-running “AI-First” search using their own brands of Large Language Models (LLMs) to supplant regular search features. If however these companies decide to go through it you’ll have to understand and prepare what this means for you as a end-user or as a local business owner.

Examples of these types of products failing to provide the most basic service are easily found like articles such as the article from Wired or this one from 404 Media. In my personal testing of the product its’… bad. Really bad. Why though?

The State of Search

As someone whose main operation is detailed research, over the last few years or so I’ve already had to change my habits to manipulate queries to get at the information I require. Many of the most used search engines have become rife with affiliate-driven marketing spam sites (thanks, “AI” generated garbage sites), degraded service on specific terms, and links that push me to Social Media services that requires a separate log in. You as an end user have probably faced these same issues yourself, even if you were unaware of the subtle but constant changes that frustrate you to achieve simple tasks online. These “AI” generated search results make all of the little tricks I’ve grown accustomed to over the years dead in the water, and gives me just a handful of results that I have to painstakingly backtrack sources of to verify the information. It literally added about 5 minutes to my task I usually complete within a minute or so. Will end-users be as vigilant to cross reference what the AI pushes at them? Research on general user actions say that’s extremely unlikely.

For small to medium sized businesses that work mostly with other businesses this product is far worse than the traditional search products. By limiting the number of responses initially by these “AI” searches that digital real estate is going to be extremely lucrative, and extremely hard to naturally achieve… greatly limiting the number of especially niche offerings to expand to potential audiences. The old joke in Search Engine Optimization was “Where Is the most hidden place in the World? The second page of results.” in reference to end-users’ general reluctance to go beyond the initial page of results. 

Issues with “AI” Search:

• Promotes Fake/Nonexistent Products
• Contradictory Statements
• Uses a Sales Script
• Over-reliance on Social Media Sites for Sources

A Hero Emerges:

Researchers from an unlikely source expose issues

“AI” search exasperates this issue ten fold by not only condensing the choices it presents the user, but also gives a false confidence of its’ displayed choices… designed to seem like a friend giving an honest review of their favorite restaurant. Again, this is just a probability model: it doesn’t think, doesn’t research or fact check, can’t feel. But the companies will program it to make it seem like it can do all of those things.

At the confluence of all these issues I have to bring your attention to a company that is at the bleeding edge of research into “AI Search” and how the problems it presents with both businesses and users alike: Housefresh. This is a company that has been in the tech journalism world and beyond recently because their core business is what we expect from the internet: simple and rigorous testing of a product many people rely on. However their experiences and experiments with the new slate of “AI”-driven search tools has been illustrative to the problems users and businesses will face going forward if these products become more widely adapted.

You can find their entire blog here (really well done), but this article and this article came to my attention in specific because it summarizes the entire issue. In brief and summed up, they attempted to use a major search engine’s “AI” features and their results were shocking: the results included information where attribution was not readily accessible, but the “AI”-search results also gave a glowing review of a product they made up and does not exist. All the while with regular search their name was buried underneath a slew of posts from Social Media sites. They demonstrated that the “AI” search took exactly contradictory results depending on how they worded their question. And finally, and most cleverly, they actually were able to prove that the “AI”-driven search actually had a pleasantly positive sales script it uses for literally any product… wonder if it’d recommend spoiled meat if asked.

(Seriously, check them out. I can’t go into the detail they can, but its’ fascinating and pretty scary. They are amazing and have a link to donate a coffee to them, they are doing great things).

Looking Ahead (Best We Can)

So what strategies are best going forward if the Search Engines adopt these products for small businesses? As it stands now, its’ very hard to say and depends a lot on how these companies design and implement the “AI”-driven search features. It could very well be that hyper-optimization of SEO contributes to a lowered reputation score with “AI”-driven search than it currently does with traditional search so there’s a possibility light touch SEO will yield better results than algorithm chasing of the last few years. It’s also very clear that what may work with one “AI”-driven search engine will be detrimental to the others. At this current moment, we are in a holding pattern with Search Engines for our own clients until more is known.

Recommendations for Business to Business/Local/Contrator operations:

• Analyze in detail customer inflows. How are customers finding you at what cost? If new customer acquisition is predominately on-line study the exact channels they are finding your company.
• Start to consider print and other media channels to diversify your audience reach. While previously the internet was a great low-cost alternative to audience reaching, it is quickly becoming just another along with the traditional methods. Online presence is now in addition to other channels and no longer instead of.
• Review online ad-buying strategies, if applicable.
• Maintain and Update your main Website at least twice a year, ensure basic information and activity across all your platforms is accurate and synced.
• Review all referral and affiliate procedures, if applicable.

From initial research, while trying to game the new systems will be tougher, ignoring basic SEO procedures will be devastating for businesses.

For end-users its’ important to remember the basics of internet safety:

• If you can’t verify information, don’t trust it.
• Always be vigilant with information presented to you.
• Diversify what Search Engines you utilize.
• Always be aware “AI” can’t think or rationalize so you have to.

As this story develops we will have regular updates, and as always contact us anytime for consulting on all your technology needs!