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Study: Young users (9 to 18Y) ditch Google for AI, with unknown consequences

66 points · 119 comments · giuliomagnifico

  1. lordnacho · · focus · HN ↗
    AI is my default for just about any search now. From today:

    How did Cantor come up with his diagonal proof? It seems to have been dreamed out of nowhere

    Why are there advertisements for a shampoo containing caffeine? Does caffeine do something useful other than when you drink it?

    What happens in sense and sensibility?

    All of them give a decent answer, with the ability to ask follow ups. Eg, how does S&S compare with Pride and Prejudice? What about more recent novels connecting romantic choices with economic choices?

    All of them give you links to source material, in case you suspect they are just making it up.

    At the start of the millennium, Google search changed everything about how I look for information. Now it seems outdated.

    1. yoavm · · focus · HN ↗
      It's interesting — "knowing how to search" used to be a skill. One wouldn't search for "How did Cantor come up with his diagonal proof?", but rather "cantor diagonal proof origin". You would see "normies" searching and wanted to bang your head against the wall seeing them searching like they're talking.

      But seems like they won? Why know how to search when you can simply ask your question. You can even tyipe it layke dat and it would still work.

      1. Gud · · focus · HN ↗
        "knowing how to search" became useless when Google almost exclusively started returning SEO garbage. There was no longer any way to know how to search.
        1. netsharc · · focus · HN ↗
          I'm surprised google didn't return stuff about Cantor-Fitzgerald losing hundreds of employees on 9/11, considering it's the 25th anniversary.

          I remember wanting to look up something about the Andrew Niccol/Nicolas Cage movie "Lord of War", during the time the game "God of War" was getting all the hype. Guess which word Google assumed I got wrong, and what all the results were all about.

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