I used to be scrolling via X final yr after I noticed this tweet from the CEO of Shopify:
It made me pause and suppose: Are you able to actually exchange Google with one thing else, like AI? I grew up with Google in spite of everything; it had by no means crossed my thoughts that someday I’d cease utilizing the search big.
However it made me curious to strive. So, I made a decision to cease utilizing Google for one week. As an alternative, just like the CEO of Shopify, I’d use Perplexity (a chatbot-style search engine.) If there are any gaps, I’ll flip to ChatGPT or Gemini for assist.
For the “experiment,” I put in the Perplexity plugin and altered it to my default search engine. I additionally downloaded each the ChatGPT and Perplexity apps on my cellphone.
I largely used Perplexity and located that I may do virtually all the things I did with Google—apart from a number of particular issues, like doing a website: search.
In actual fact, I favored Perplexity extra. I didn’t must take care of adverts (a minimum of for now) or convoluted SERP options. And I didn’t must click on via a number of hyperlinks simply to search out what I used to be searching for.
For instance, I noticed a tweet about Jay Z and had no concept what occurred. So, I requested and received the reply:
Gemini gave one thing comparable:
If I had carried out the identical factor with Google, I’d have needed to click on on an article, hope it was the appropriate end result, after which endure via layers of banner adverts.
As a author and content material marketer, I can’t say sufficient how helpful AI summaries have been for analysis. I not must click on via and skim every search end result. I get the summarised model proper away.
Working example: I used to be updating my article on the top trending topics. I’m not that outdated, however I’m clearly not up-to-date with most traits. Beforehand, every replace took time as a result of I needed to learn a number of articles to get a way of what was taking place. Now, Perplexity solves this for me:
You are able to do this with ChatGPT, too, however what I like about Perplexity is you get entry to the supply of data. So, within the occasion you’re suspicious that the reply is a hallucination, you’ll be able to fact-check it by clicking on any of the cited sources. That’s means higher than ChatGPT confidently magicking one thing out of skinny air.
In actual fact, if Perplexity can’t discover something or doesn’t perceive your question, it gained’t hesitate to inform you:
ChatGPT doesn’t do that practically sufficient. Even when it doesn’t know one thing, it’ll nonetheless attempt to create an output, a few of that are hallucinations.
That’s to not say Perplexity doesn’t hallucinate in any respect. It simply does so much less. For instance, I requested why a street in Singapore had the identical identify because the spouse of the Prime Minister of Singapore.
The reply was flawed—it’s not named after her; it was merely a coincidence. If somebody didn’t click on via to supply #2, they’d have been led astray.
My instance: I used to be studying a e-book a few Singapore pioneer. The e-book talked about Dr. Oxley, the namesake of a street in Singapore. I requested Perplexity, and it gave me a modern-day Dr. Oxley:
The identical search on Google gave me the appropriate individual instantly:
In fact, it’s because Google is accumulating location information. It knew I used to be in Singapore and subsequently extra more likely to seek for Dr. Thomas Oxley moderately than a doctor within the US.
Regardless of the uproars over Google’s information assortment, it’s clear that location information is necessary. With this information, Google is aware of the place you might be and may personalize their search outcomes. In any case, in the event you’re searching for the “finest Italian eating places,” you don’t need solutions midway throughout the globe. You need these which are in your space.
That is the place, for my part, Google excels and the place it distinguishes itself from AI. AI doesn’t gather location information or know the place you might be (except you inform it.) So, further steps are concerned in getting the appropriate outcomes whenever you ask AI for native info.
One other instance: I used to be looking to buy an ergonomic mouse. After I requested AI, it advised locations that had been within the UK (Argos):
Quite the opposite, Google gave me a listing of native locations in Singapore to purchase from:
Ultimate ideas
Personally, I’ve largely changed Google with Perplexity and use it 90% of the time. A clear interface, not having to click on a number of hyperlinks, and summarised solutions match virtually all my use instances.
If I’m utilizing Google, it’s as a result of it was out of behavior or due to work (I work in website positioning, so so long as individuals nonetheless use Google, I’ll have to make use of it.)
The founding father of Perplexity, Aravind Srinivas, tweets that Perplexity is what Google needed to turn into 23 years in the past. They only didn’t have the appropriate expertise.
Maybe if we need to predict Google’s future, we must always see the place Perplexity strikes subsequent.
