Search is Dead / AI as the New UI

In recent years, we've seen an evolution towards what could be termed a "post-search era." Consider Netflix as a paradigmatic example. With its vast catalog and diverse user base, it's imperative for Netflix to not only offer hyper-personalized title recommendations but also present them in a similarly tailored manner. A particularly effective strategy the California-based company employs involves differentiating the images used to represent content. By customizing not only the titles based on preferences but also how those titles are presented, Netflix can maximize its click-through rate and, consequently, the time users spend on the platform.

It's no surprise that according to McKinsey, up to 75% of the content viewed on Netflix today stems from algorithmic recommendations rather than active, conscious searches. It's no longer about searching but about "post-search." This trend is also apparent, albeit to a lesser extent, in the e-commerce sector. Today, the most successful companies are not those with the most content but those that can offer their content in a more finely calibrated manner, focused less on positioning and more on prediction. The validity of this thesis is empirically evidenced by the growing dominance of platforms like TikTok in not only the social media landscape but also in the search itself. Companies like ByteDance provide a profoundly personalized user experience through deep learning algorithms and highly effective real-time data processing. It's no coincidence that in recent years, there has been a shift in user preferences, especially among the young, who increasingly favor platforms like TikTok and Reddit for their searches over Google. I believe this trend towards hyper-personalization can be encapsulated in the following formula:

R = G(S^n → U)

Where R represents the search results, G stands for generic results, S for specific results, n indicates the process of narrowing and refining results, and U is the ultimate result. In short, a search cubed, or perhaps, an "anti-search." "Anti" because traditional search implies a need, or at least a willingness, to seek something actively. But if results come to us without us having to invoke them, then the term becomes misleading.

Traditional search implies a need, or at least a willingness, to seek something actively. But if results come to us without us having to invoke them, then the term becomes misleading.

This paradigm shift suggests a profound transition in how web interfaces are conceived and used. Hypothetically, tools like ChatGPT could one day become the primary, or in some cases, the only interfaces for web access. We envision a future where tools like ChatGPT transcend their roles as mere external data processors. Instead, these models could evolve into primary aggregators and distributors of information, particularly in sectors like tourism. This development would signify a fundamental reversal in the traditional digital ecosystem and a shift towards an unprecedented dynamic in terms of interface. If today, Expedia is powered by OpenAI's APIs, tomorrow, it could be OpenAI that is powered by Expedia's APIs. This evolution would radically transform the architecture and interface of the World Wide Web as we know it. Browsing through multiple sites or proprietary applications may become obsolete in this theoretical future.

Browsing through multiple sites or proprietary applications may become obsolete in this theoretical future.

Users might prefer to interact exclusively through a single, all-knowing conversational platform—a shift from an informative web, based on HTML user interfaces and mobile apps, to a generative web, supported by sophisticated algorithms of LLMs and driven by a new AI research paradigm. A centralized AI assistant powered by a myriad of APIs, with the World Wide Web as the underlying infrastructure and ChatGPT as the user interface. This shift could significantly move from the traditional reliance on self-contained (but fragmented) websites and applications to a more unified and composited web interaction. Ideally, a user could scan the label of a bottle of wine, receive an immediate assessment of its quality, and then seamlessly proceed to queries about the wine's provenance, suggestions for travel destinations related to its origin, recommendations for local businesses, and even tools to communicate with locals, all within a single interface.

Ideally, a user could scan the label of a bottle of wine, receive an immediate assessment of its quality, and then seamlessly proceed to queries about the wine's provenance, suggestions for travel destinations related to its origin, recommendations for local businesses, and even tools to communicate with locals, all within a single interface.

This evolution would represent a technological advancement and a behavioral redefinition of how we interact with the digital world, converging specialized functionality into a cohesive, AI-centric user experience. If today we open a thousand browsers and apps, tomorrow we will open a single conversational platform. Navigating through many websites and applications is, in hindsight, merely a convention born of necessity and, for that reason, not immutable.

The web began with sites, which were then indexed by search engines. This led to the creation of meta-search engines, which in turn indexed the search engines. The advent of mobile technology led to the creation of apps designed to improve this frustrating user experience, subsequently necessitating the development of app stores to organize this chaotic ecosystem. We have built platforms to aggregate other platforms, which aggregate other platforms. With over a billion websites and nine million apps, I believe that the digital world is ready for a change, as transformative as it is necessary, towards a web where decision-making processes and digital interaction are simplified and, upon closer inspection, more aligned with human cognitive and conversational models.

We have built platforms to aggregate other platforms, which aggregate other platforms. With over a billion websites and nine million apps, I believe that the digital world is ready for a change.