Kebingungan, Copilot, You.com: Menguji Mesin Pencari AI

AI is rapidly encroaching on the search business, with tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot becoming increasingly sophisticated while Google’s search quality appears to be declining. Companies like Perplexity and You.com are positioning themselves as the next generation of search products, and even industry giants like Google and Bing are investing heavily in AI-driven search technologies. The days of traditional search engines with 10 blue links may be numbered, as AI promises direct answers to a wide range of queries.

However, the true test for these AI search engines lies not in their ability to find information, but in their ability to replicate the wide array of functions that Google performs on a daily basis. To put these claims to the test, I compared some of the top AI tools with Google by running the most-searched queries through them. While some AI bots provided more useful information than a standard Google search, the majority struggled to match Google’s speed and accuracy.

In particular, AI search engines fell short in handling navigational queries, where users are simply looking for a direct link to a specific website. Google’s efficiency in delivering the desired link quickly and accurately outshone the AI bots, which often provided unnecessary information before presenting the link. When it came to information queries with a single correct answer, such as sports scores or basic facts, the results were mixed, with some AI bots delivering outdated information while others performed well. Google’s ability to provide real-time updates and personalized information gave it an edge over the competition.

For more complex, exploratory queries that don’t have a single answer, such as “how to tie a tie” or “why were chainsaws invented,” AI search engines showed promise by offering detailed, synthesized answers with additional resources. Citations and links to sources are a standout feature of AI engines, allowing users to delve deeper into topics of interest.

While AI search engines are making strides in certain areas, they still have a long way to go to match Google’s speed, accuracy, and versatility. The future of search may be AI-driven, but for now, Google remains the dominant force in the online search landscape.