In the digital age, the way of information acquisition is undergoing unprecedented changes. In the past, people were used to obtaining information through search engines' blue links, but now AI chatbots are quietly changing this pattern. These smart tools not only simplify the search process, but also fundamentally reshape the way we interact with the Internet.
Adobe's latest research reveals the amazing speed of this change. Through analysis of data on more than 1 trillion U.S. retail website visits and surveys of more than 5,000 U.S. respondents, the study found that AI search has become an important source of traffic for retailers. Especially during the 2024 holiday season, AI search recommendation traffic increased by 1,300% compared with 2023, and on Monday, the online shopping reached an astonishing increase of 1,950%. While these numbers are shocking, this growth is reasonable considering that AI search is still in its early stages of development.
What is more worthy of attention is the significant increase in user engagement. Data shows that users from AI search stay on the website for 8% longer than traditional search users, browsing different pages 12% more frequently, and bounce rates are 23% less. These data show that AI tools are providing users with more accurate and relevant search results, thereby enhancing the overall search experience.
However, the development of AI search has not been smooth sailing. Google's AI overview feature has encountered many problems early on, from suggesting glue on pizza to falsely claiming former President Barack Obama was the first Muslim president, these mistakes have sparked widespread controversy. Similarly, the newly-established startup Perplexity has also been caught in a legal dispute over alleged plagiarism for Forbes reports. Although CEO Alavend Srinivas said the product would continue to improve, the defense was not widely recognized.
OpenAI has adopted a more cautious strategy. When launching ChatGPT's search feature, OpenAI announced it as a prototype and emphasized close collaboration with media partners. This strategy not only reduces the edge cases that may cause controversy, but also provides publishers with more control. Although OpenAI has not yet implanted ads in search features, its chief financial officer Sarah Frey has said the company is considering the option.
Although still in its early stages, AI search has clearly attracted the attention of consumers. Many critics believe that traditional search has been destroyed by advertising and SEO spam, and AI search is expected to be the solution. However, the realization of this vision depends on whether AI search can avoid the corrosive power of traditional search and truly provide users with a pure and efficient search experience.