Ask HN: How text AI generators aren't the end of search engines?

#1

Post by techsin101 » Sat, Dec 03, 2022, 10:41 PM UTC

CMV: it's over for search engines. The quality was already on the decline. now with text generated actually MORE coherent and more readable, how can search engine figure this out on a scale.

I predict forums/QA/chats are going to become more dominant moving forward.

Re: Ask HN: How text AI generators aren't the end of search engines?

#2

Post by p1esk » Sat, Dec 03, 2022, 11:20 PM UTC

Are you okay with a search engine giving you false information?

Re: Ask HN: How text AI generators aren't the end of search engines?

#3

Post by gabelschlager » Sat, Dec 03, 2022, 11:26 PM UTC

What do you normally use a search engine for? Sure, if it's just specific, factual questions, AI generators might become good alternatives for that in the coming years. However, currently they hallucinate too strongly to be trustworthy.

But more often than not, that's not what I am searching for in the first place. I like to search for discussions, opinion pieces and other content on the internet and that's not something I see getting replaced by AI that quickly.

Re: Ask HN: How text AI generators aren't the end of search engines?

#4

Post by PaulHoule » Sat, Dec 03, 2022, 11:41 PM UTC

p1esk wrote: post #2

Are you okay with a search engine giving you false information?

The worst thing about the current text AI generators is that they seem to be optimal at getting people to take what they say seriously. Hardened neurotypical chauvinists seem to see a light in their eyes that they don't see in the eyes of many real people. Maybe it's a good thing now because we don't have any more need for the likes of Sam Bankman-Fried, Donald Trump, L. Ron Hubbard, etc.

Re: Ask HN: How text AI generators aren't the end of search engines?

#5

Post by solardev » Sat, Dec 03, 2022, 11:55 PM UTC

p1esk wrote: post #2

Are you okay with a search engine giving you false information?

Do we have a choice?

Re: Ask HN: How text AI generators aren't the end of search engines?

#6

Post by bombcar » Sun, Dec 04, 2022, 12:06 AM UTC

gabelschlager wrote: post #3

What do you normally use a search engine for? Sure, if it's just specific, factual questions, AI generators might become good alternatives for that in the coming years. However, currently they hallucinate too strongly to be trustworthy. But more often than not, that's not what I am searching for in the first place. I like to search for discussions, opinion pieces and other content on the internet and that's not somet…

I took it to mean that SEO crap is going to go plaid. And so search engines will mainly return ad-laden bullshit.

(New search engine idea: refuse to return any page that has advertising on it)

Re: Ask HN: How text AI generators aren't the end of search engines?

#7

Post by dakiol » Sun, Dec 04, 2022, 12:20 AM UTC

gabelschlager wrote: post #3

What do you normally use a search engine for? Sure, if it's just specific, factual questions, AI generators might become good alternatives for that in the coming years. However, currently they hallucinate too strongly to be trustworthy. But more often than not, that's not what I am searching for in the first place. I like to search for discussions, opinion pieces and other content on the internet and that's not somet…

> I like to search for discussions, opinion pieces and other content on the internet and that's not something I see getting replaced by AI that quickly.

I imagine that in some years we could see AI models being constantly trained with fresh content from the internet. Like the AI gets a new model every 5 minutes let's say; that would allow the AI answer questions Google and other search engines can answer.