It happened early on: the emergence of ChatGPT struck fear in the minds of a certain group of professionals. Not teachers, or programmers, or journalists, or sci-fi enthusiasts (who are all OVER this technology). ChatGPT had Google quaking in its boots (and reboots). Google!
Google sort of owns the Internet, or so it would seem, to the point where they've become their own verb. Their revenue stream is heavily dependent on ads and search engine optimization, or SEO, which is why you always get certain responses on the first page of your search returns (i.e., the only page you end up looking at). Lately I had been getting annoyed with this, actually. Whether using Google for a quick fact check or trying to find something great to make for dinner, I have found the first 3-4 pages of returns to be almost useless. There's so much user-generated content out there, and many content creators (a cringe of a phrase, really) have mastered SEO. It's the terms of the game. If you want to be found, make yourself findable. But common touchstones are supplanted by blogs, fan sites, and shopping links.
Now Microsoft has partnered with OpenAI to change the game. Nothing like a little healthy competition to improve your products and services...right?
"Most People Don't Understand Search Engines, And That's A Problem," John Finn for Screen Rant, January 24, 2020
This is from three years ago, and sums up the problem I mention above. It speaks somewhat to the complacency on Google's part that comes with being really, really huge. What, you're going to use Bing, the loser search engine? Or DuckDuckGo? Or that one that plants a tree every time you find what you want? I've also had a front row seat for this. When I teach research in my courses, there's always a chorus of "I can't find what I want." (We're using Google-like search within databases.)
"6 Ways SEO Pros Are Using ChatGPT Right Now," Brian Frederick for Search Engine Journal, January 11, 2023
See, this is what I'm talking about. Experimenting in the kitchen has long been one of my favorite ways to unwind, especially after a digital-heavy day. Almost weekly I want to cook something new. If I search for a recipe I get a cavalcade of food blogs that include these awkward, rambling narratives about that day's weather or whatever, and a whole lot of ads that keep popping up, making it impossible to use. One example this author gives? Ask ChatGPT for a solid Beef Wellington recipe, and you'll get it. Sounds great. I can riff off the basics.
"Bing (Yes, Bing) Just Made Search Interesting Again," Kevin Roose for The New York Times, February 8, 2023
The New York Times column about this release sums it up. On their own, ChatGPT and Bing are fine in their own right (though Bing is something of a joke online). Together, they are more than the sum of their parts. Since I'm not one of the cool kids, I haven't gotten to play with it yet, but would I supplant Google with Bing once I see it at work? Sure, why not? I'm not brand-loyal here. I just want something that works smoothly.
"Racing to Catch Up With ChatGPT, Google Plans Release of Its Own Chatbot," Cade Metz and Nico Grant for The New York Times, February 3, 2023
If you're dizzied by the onslaught of ChatGPT and its shockwaves, you might nod along with the Google brain trust's decisions to lag on their release. The story goes that Google's decision makers held back their AI work due to the types of concerns that emerged-- bias, abuse, misinformation. Given Microsoft's disastrous chatbot Tay, they were probably wise to be cautious.
"Google shares drop $100 billion after its new AI chatbot makes a mistake," Emily Olson for NPR, February 9, 2023
Welp. I guess we know who won Round 1.
And if you're not sure of the place SEO has in our modern economy, you can learn through a MOOC hosted on Udemy. (This is really geared for business people. I'm not part of it.)
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