Perplexity AI: The Paradigm Shifter in Search Engines

Have you already left behind your experience with ChatGPT?

I bid farewell to ChatGPT for a while to try Perplexity AI.

?"I'm sorry, ChatGPT, our first meeting was in the first week of December 2022. However, I've come across Perplexity AI. He's a cutting-edge hybrid that merges the Google search engine and ChatGPT. I'll be back once you upgrade."

In this post, I want to share my experiences with Perplexity AI over the past few weeks from the perspective of an SEO content creator.

Even if you are not in the same field as me, this post is about the search engine game-changer, Perplexity AI. If you are interested in the paradigm shift of search engines, please read my post.

Surge Background

The emergence of ChatGPT claimed that AI chatbots would replace search engines. YouTubers who enjoy extreme expressions used the thumbnail phrase "The End of Search."

As of February 2024, since ChatGPT appeared, search volume on Google's search engine has decreased by about 25%. However, can ChatGPT, Gemini, and Bing satisfy our search needs?

At this point, Perplexity.ai is reshaping our search experience and AI usage.

To understand how this change is progressing, we compared and analyzed the usage of Google Search, ChatGPT, and Perplexity AI.

Paradigm Shift in Search Engines

Google Search

I conducted a simple Google search for the question, "What are the best places to visit in Rome, Italy?"

The top results included links to articles from Tripadvisor, a major travel information site, and a specialized sub-site of US News Travel published by US News & World Report.

Google's response was in the form of a list of links, requiring a visit to the respective sites for detailed information on the information I was seeking.

Creating a list of great places for an enjoyable trip takes time.

ChatGPT

When I asked ChatGPT, "Where are good places to visit in Rome, Italy?"

Upon accessing ChatGPT, a list of 7 suggestions for visiting places with detailed sentences numbered for each item is displayed.

The list includes the Colosseum, Vatican City(?), and Rome Common.

This tool provides an advantage in offering long and descriptive answers to natural language questions.

However, it does not include links that would help delve into details.

ChatGPT does not provide information on where these ideas originated. Hence, it is often challenging to find credibility in GPT's responses.

Most chatbots currently do not acknowledge the sources of their responses, often providing answers similar to those for general Rome tourism queries.?

Moreover, several lawsuits have been filed against AI companies for using data posted without permission to train LLMs. The New York Times and numerous individual authors are among the plaintiffs.

Due to these legal issues, AI companies are expected to begin modifying how they structure and share results. In the future, it's anticipated that these companies will need to acquire licenses for training content rather than simply scraping it for free from the public internet.

Also, links to additional content and relevant advertisements, such as those displayed in Google searches, may be expected. In other words, LLM chatbots will begin to cite sources.

Perplexity

Perplexity understands user intentions well.

It lists places worth visiting in Rome, leaving behind general travel information.

What makes this new search engine particularly interesting is that unlike typical chatbot responses like ChatGPT and other LLMs, Perplexity's responses include links to the sources used to construct the answer.

This hybrid approach allows you to answer your questions and take direct follow-up actions from the sources for additional context.

Therefore, when requesting tourist attractions in Rome, you can get relevant links and a list.

Wrapping Up

Perplexity AI offers a new paradigm search experience compared to existing tools like ChatGPT and other search engines like Google and Bing by accurately understanding user intent and providing information with differentiated links to sources.

Moreover, the legal actions taken by The New York Times and individual authors asserting rights over data usage have significant implications in transforming our search experience.

In response to legal challenges, AI companies are likely to change their data handling practices, including obtaining licenses for educational content and incorporating source citations and links to additional content and advertisements in their outputs.

It's unclear whether these changes will happen in the next month, next year, or within the next three years. However, if AI chatbots are to find and reference your company, now is the time to start.