Siri, Take Me Back to 2005
There is a lot of controversy surrounding the latest developments in AI (artificial intelligence). I, for one, find the rapid pace at which technology is developing extremely terrifying. I do. I hate it. I wish we could go back to the early 2000s when we had technology, but it didn’t consume our lives. Back in the iPod nano, wired headphones, and CD days. Could you imagine? Yet, as much as I detest technology, it would be a lie to say that our lives aren’t way more efficient than they were back then. The speed at which we are able to achieve tasks, barely lifting a finger, is quite nice when you get used to it. I’ve definitely grown very accustomed to this way of living.
I stumbled across an article by Inc.com that said Google has had to lay off around 13,000 employees over the past year due to the AI disruption we are currently facing. Because Google is investing in its own AI tool to stay competitive, they have had to reallocate resources, which has caused this significant lay-off circumstance. Google has been dominating the search engine market for years, and the introduction of AI has threatened its long-standing #1 position in the game.
Gen Z vs Google.
However, AI isn’t the only thing threatening Google’s reign; Gen Z is too. I know that sounds a bit weird, but hear me out. Most of us go to Chat GPT or social media when we want to know something. I hate to admit this, but I often turn to TikTok for answers unless I research something school-related. As mentioned in the New York Times, 40% of young people (Gen Z) search on TikTok or Instagram when they are looking for a lunch spot. I can attest to this claim. I am guilty of this behavior, and I know my friends are too. I do this because seeing others vouching for a product or service is helpful. With that said, it’s always nice to have an algorithm that knows precisely what you want to see. I think that is why they call us the lazy generation.
The more you know.
After reading The Dirty Secret to Ranking #1 on Google, I was shocked to learn how Google has maintained its top-ranking positioning throughout the years. At first, I felt bad hearing about the 13,000 lay-offs they experienced this past year, but now I’m a little annoyed. The fact is that Google owns the majority of the websites they sponsor at the top, regardless of whether the website contains accurate results. That is why websites like Google Weather and Google Flights appear as the first result when you search for anything in those categories. Amazon isn’t fault-free either; they use the exact same tactic. This type of monopoly rids the market of any innovation or growth. Knowing what I know now, that “sponsored” tag in Google or “overall pick” on Amazon is a deterrent for me.
Final thoughts.
I’m not a fan of this type of power play at all. Despite the fact that technological advancements stress me out, I do think that Google and Amazon need to be knocked down a peg so that we can make space for innovators and entrepreneurs in the search engine industry. We can’t be fooled into consuming information by Google or Amazon that isn’t accurate. So, my conclusion about all this disruptive AI jazz is that I’m okay with it. I hope it encourages more businesses to take a stab at the search engine industry, but I also hope it doesn’t take over too many human jobs so that I can eventually get one one day.
