Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
So there we were, thinking the internet was all about clickity-click, making us lords of our insignificant little clickable realms. But here comes the ex-Google CEO, gallantly implying that AI in search engines might just take those precious links away. Great, because what we really needed was to make our lives online less convenient, right?
Remember when you had to walk to a library and physically search for information? No? Well, neither do I, but it sounds horrendous. That was the past, and the good old internet, with its links—a modern-day breadcrumb trail—took that pain away. Now they’re telling us, Hey, you didn’t need those breadcrumbs anyway. Just eat the cake we feed you!
Oh, and it’s not just any cake—it’s an AI-flavored one. With AI running the show, soon we might just type a question into our soulless screens and poof, there comes the answer with no source to trace. Just a neat, clean, and incredibly vague answer slab dunked onto your screen. The mystery of the ‘ultimate source’ remains, like the finale of your favorite TV series that got cancelled abruptly.
Let’s unpack this, shall we? AI doing the searches means no more wandering through the maze of hyperlinks, which I’d argue was half the fun. You start by looking up a recipe for lasagna and end up knowing the GDP of Luxembourg, thanks to link trails. But no, someone decided it’s time we traveled straight A to B—no detours, no random knowledge accidents—just straightforward, bland efficiency.
It’s like telling us to eat our vegetables without chewing. Just gulp. Nutrition without the taste. But who needs flavor when you’re in a hurry to go nowhere and learn nothing unexpected along the way, right?
Don’t get me wrong, AI is remarkable—like a magician that pulls a rabbit out of a hat the size of a thimble. But in this grand illusion of ‘link-less’ searching, where do the answers come from? A giant, opaque AI-box stirring up bits and bytes to tailor-make an impression of reality, just for you. The personal touch of stumbling into information is lost when decisions are pre-made, pre-packaged, and pre-digested by algorithms that probably don’t even laugh at good jokes.
And what about trust? I’m supposed to take this AI’s word for it because, what, it read the entire internet and all it found was this one perfect answer? The same AI that tells me I look like a budding movie star when I ask if my new haircut is bad? Yeah, right.
Picture this: You’re on a date, and instead of telling stories, you let an AI summarize your life in bullet points. Romantic, isn’t it? Nothing says “I’m into you” like a list generated by a server farm colder than your ex’s heart.
Now, rely on this AI-driven search paradigm and we’re sipping boxed wine when we could’ve had champagne. Life’s messy links are what make searching an adventure, a treasure hunt. Without those, the internet is just a sterile hallway with doors we’re not allowed to peek behind.
To the powers-that-be dreaming up this link-less utopia: Keep your efficient, bland future! I’ll keep my messy, chaotic internet, where I can at least pretend to be Sherlock Holmes in pajamas. Sure, it might take a bit longer, but at least I’m in charge of the rabbit holes I dive into.
So next time you find yourself nostalgic for the good old days of hyperlink freedom, just remember: it’s not about the destination, but the journey… and all the weird and wonderful stops along the way.
Call me old-fashioned, but I still believe in a little thing called discovery—something that no AI, no matter how smart, can decide for you. Because sometimes, the journey is way more fun than the destination, especially if the destination is decided by an algorithm that doesn’t understand the first thing about human curiosity. Or humor.
Source: Ex-Google CEO Implies AI Search Will Have No Links via @sejournal, @martinibuster
