Into It: The Conversation We’re NOT Having About AI
May 17, 2023
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Nilay Patel, Editor-in-Chief of The Verge, dives into the profound impact of AI on pop culture. He discusses how AI-generated music and imagery are reshaping the entertainment landscape. The conversation explores the disruption of Google’s dominance in online search, the shift towards AI-driven functionalities, and how platforms like TikTok are transforming the consumption of culture. Patel emphasizes the need to embrace these changes while addressing concerns over creativity and content quality.
The rise of AI is expected to disrupt the traditional search-based model of consuming pop culture, leading to a more isolated online experience with limited human interaction.
The dominance of Google as the primary search engine is threatened by the emergence of AI-powered alternatives, potentially changing the rules and strategies for web visibility and advertising.
Deep dives
The Shift from Google Search to AI and Its Impact on the Internet
The rise of AI is predicted to change the way people consume and interact with pop culture. Currently, Google search dominates the internet, shaping the way we discover and engage with entertainment content. However, as AI technology advances, the traditional search-based model is expected to be replaced by AI-driven chatbots that provide immediate answers and recommendations without the need for visiting websites. This shift raises questions about the future of community-building and engagement around pop culture, as AI may limit human interaction and create a more isolated online experience. Creators will also have to adapt their strategies, crafting content that resonates with AI-driven algorithms and caters to the new ways in which consumers access information. Overall, the transformation from search-based to AI-based consumption of pop culture is a significant change that requires attention and consideration.
The Potential Disruption of AI on Google's Dominance
The rise of AI poses a threat to Google's dominance as the primary search engine. Currently, Google controls the web experience, influencing website design, content creation, and even advertising through its search-based model. However, AI-powered alternatives, such as chat GPT and Bing, are emerging, providing direct answers to user queries and potentially challenging Google's market share. This shift in search behavior can impact the advertising industry, as businesses have traditionally relied on SEO and paid ads to optimize their visibility on Google. With AI search, the rules and strategies for increasing web traffic and ranking in search results may change, demanding new approaches to reach audiences effectively. Additionally, AI search enables users to ask more general questions, expanding the range of information accessible and altering the way people engage with and interpret culture.
The Changing Relationship Between Google and Internet Culture
Google's dominant role in shaping internet culture is undergoing transformation due to the rise of AI and the emergence of content and communities outside of its gaze. While Google has contributed technology to the AI field and experimented with AI-driven features, the company's focus on preserving its advertising-based business has hindered its adoption of AI advancements. As AI-powered alternatives gain traction, Google risks losing market share, potentially altering the architecture of the internet. Previously invisible pockets of culture beyond Google's reach, like TikTok and Instagram, now thrive independently. Simultaneously, the architecture of information designed to be readable by Google's search algorithms may become more accessible to human users through AI. This shift raises questions about the compensation of labor and the reliability of AI-generated content, as well as the potential loss of human connection and conversation in the online realm.
Anticipating the Impacts of AI on Pop Culture Consumption
The transition from Google search to AI-based search will have significant repercussions on how pop culture is consumed and engaged with. The habit of immediately Googling for information, recaps, reviews, and community discussions after consuming entertainment media will undergo changes when AI-powered search becomes dominant. Instead of relying on search engines, users may turn to AI chatbots or platforms like TikTok, Twitter, or Instagram for a more visual and immediate search experience. The way creators approach the creation and rollout of their content will also shift. They may need to consider releasing information to AI platforms first to ensure accurate AI-generated responses and create content that caters to the changing search behavior. The transition to AI-centric culture consumption requires individuals to be more aware of their information sources and actively engage with the changing dynamics of the internet to maintain human connection and foster a more diverse and engaging online culture.
Today we're sharing an episode of Into It: A Vulture Podcast with Sam Sanders
AI is making fake Drake/The Weeknd songs, weird images, and there’s a worry that TV and movie scripts could be written by ChatGPT. But it’s also about to dramatically change the way we consume, share, and obsess over pop culture. Nilay Patel, Editor-in-Chief of The Verge, explains to Sam how pretty much everything we search on the internet is mediated by Google… and how AI is about to disrupt it all.
