ChatGPT won’t replace search engines any time soon

True, but it does not have to. ChatGPT is it's own thing. It has functions search engines can never accomplish. You can say the same thing the other way around, "Why Search Engines won't replace ChatGPT?" The essence of what ChatGPT is is here to stay. We'll be seeing different flavors and it will be a big part of everyone's life.

It won’t have to replace; it can just augment and be very successful at it. I’m just unsure how to cover the massive costs of running this thing with millions of req/sec.

...But ChatGPT's successors just might.

I, for one, look forward to a future in which I can ask a digital assistant to find and summarize information on anything:

"Computer, please find out how GPS works and explain it to me like I'm five years old."

"Computer, what are the latest Covid-19 infection stats in my city?"

"Computer, who is Claude Shannon and why is he important?"

"Computer, what are the top three stories on HN today?"

"Computer, what's on my calendar?"

etc.

ChatGPT will flood the internet with articles like how SEO was used to hack search. It might not replace search engine, but search results will becomes even more irrelevant.

If Google search actually searches (find articles or sites with keyword) then yes: ChatGTP or it’s successor would never replace Google search.

But Google search so broken (at least for me) so it looks more like broken or badly implemented ChatGTP.