Don't believe the hype, ChatGPT is awesome, but won't replace Google
ChatGPT hit the internet, and especially Twitter, like a bomb this week.
Been seeing lots of comments like 'ChatGPT will replace Google'.
Can you guess where we are on the hype cycle for large language models?
Here are 3 reasons why ChatGPT is not going to replace Google:
- No primary sources
- LLM vs search engine is like saw vs drill
- Current and future events
No Primary Sources
Often when looking for info, you want primary sources. The actually website. This allows you to see other sources, or connect to the people who talk about it. ChatGPT just gives the text. No links. So if you are trying to learn more about the chef behind the recipe, ChatGPT will give you the recipe, and info about the chef, but not links to the actual chef.
LLM vs search engine is like saw vs drill
Which is better, a saw or a drill? Answer - depends on what you want.
Large language models are an AI system trained on a large amount of text data, such as books, articles, and other written documents. This allows large language models to generate human-like text based on input.
Search engines are designed to help users find information on the internet. They do this by indexing and organize the vast amount of information available on the web, and then providing users with relevant and accurate search results in response to their queries.
These are completely different tools. Where they overlap you can argue which is better. But there is lots that don't overlap.
Current and Future Events
Since LLMs need to be trained, by definition they don't have current info.
(Yes this could be fixed in the future with constant training, or search integration but GPUs are expensive :)
If you ask ChatGPT who is the mayor of New York, it is flat out wrong. Ask about a smaller city and it will say it doesn't know.
Summary
Different tools. ChatGPT is awesome but not a Google killer. yet.
Wrote more about it here - https://mythicalai.substack.com/p/chatgpt-what-is-it-what-is-it-good
I've been saying this for so long but no one is listening!
How have you been saying it? Online or in person? I find that most people need to hear an idea a few times to really get it.
Mostly online. None of my in person friends care that much about ChatGPT haha
I think it could be even better with the addition of suggested prompts after each response. As a consumer product with a range of users and needs, having relevant prompts would help us enjoy the most of its capabilities and avoid poorly worded queries. It's almost an art to master AI prompts these days, and who is better than the AI itself to guide us in leveraging its strengths and limitations?