Why Browsing with AI Isn't All It's Cracked Up to Be: The Great Google vs. GPT Debate

There is a looming question about whether or not Google search is going to survive the new world of AI, and whether or not building content for the purposes of 'search engines' will remain a viable and significant opportunity.

In this post I am going to dive deep into this subject as the buzz has been growing around the live "browsing" capabilities of ChatGPT and the impacts that may have on people searching.
Let's dig into this here..

The Trouble with AI Browsing – The Snail's Pace Dilemma

If you think that AI browsing sounds like a smooth, futuristic browsing experience, brace yourself for a reality check.
One of the major issues with this new plugin is its speed. Or, to be more accurate, its lack thereof. Browsing with AI is SLOW... we're talking snail-on-a-lazy-Sunday slow. The mechanism behind this is that the AI is essentially "scraping" pages – a process that naturally takes time.

When you perform a search using the ChatGPT Browsing BETA active, it shows the progress as the behavior is taking place. Here is an example of what I am referring to.

As you can see, it will show you actions as they are taking place... "Clicking on a link", "Clicked on a link"....and then it will peform the desired task on that particular page. After close to 30 seconds, it returned a summary for me.

Incredibly, and painfully slow.

A preferred option may be just going to wealthyaffiliate.com, and copying the content from that page...and then pasting that into ChatGPT and asking for a summary.
We live in an age of INSTANT gratification, and I am not so sure in its current state or even an improved state, this will compete directly with a Google search.

Why Google Still Reigns Supreme – The Need for Speed (and Cost)!

So, what's the alternative? Well, it's our old friend – Google search.
Google is like that reliable buddy you can always count on to have the latest scoop, the fastest answers, and the most accurate results. Google's search algorithms have been honed and perfected over the years, making it a lean, mean, information-finding machine.
It's not just about speed though. Google's ability to understand and interpret our search queries is second to none. Its sophisticated AI can figure out what we're looking for even when we're not quite sure ourselves. Try beating THAT, ChatGPT!

To Browse or Not to Browse – That Tis' the Question

While OpenAI's attempt to enhance ChatGPT with a browsing function is commendable, it just doesn't hold up against the speed and efficiency of Google's search engine. It's like comparing a tricycle with a high-speed train.
Sure, the browsing function could be useful for some niche uses, but for day-to-day information hunting, Google is still KING...and I don't think this is going to change anytime soon (or as quick as people are indicating it will).
Let's not forget though, efficient AI usage is a skill WE ALL need to develop. Just as we learned to make the most out of search engines, we need to learn how to best use AI tools for our needs.

In the great Google versus GPT debate, Google still has the upper hand. But who knows what the future holds? It's going to be an exciting few years ahead!