Search as We Know It Is Officially Over

Google is dying. Google is unstoppable. Somehow, right now, it feels like both of those things are true. For the first time in more than a decade, there appear to be products that might actually threaten Google Search as the centerpiece of the web — including OpenAI’s new SearchGPT. And yet, Google Search continues to dominate the market and make truly unfathomable amounts of money.

The End of an Era for Search

On this episode of The Vergecast, we discuss the launch of SearchGPT, Google’s latest earnings, and the increasingly brazen ways AI companies are scraping the web for their own purposes. Who will win the future of search is anyone’s guess, but one thing’s for sure: the way the web used to work doesn’t work anymore. We need new rules, new norms, and new ideas about how the internet ought to be.

Major Topics Covered

The Future of Search

• OpenAI Announces SearchGPT: An AI-powered search engine that could potentially challenge Google’s dominance.

• Bing’s AI Redesign: Shifting the usual list of search results to the side in favor of AI-driven insights.

• Reddit Blocking Major Search Engines and AI Bots: Except for those that pay, highlighting a growing tension between content creators and AI scrapers.

• Google’s Massive Quarter: Despite the challenges, Google continues to see substantial financial success thanks to Search and AI.

• Anthropic’s Crawler Ignoring Anti-AI Policies: Another example of the increasingly aggressive tactics used by AI companies.

• The Text File That Runs the Internet: Exploring the importance and future of robots.txt in an AI-dominated web.

AI is changing the landscape of web search.

Gadgets and Reviews of the Week

Big Week in Gadget News

• Amazon’s Alexa Project: Revealed as a significant financial burden, raising questions about its future.

• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Review: A great phone but seemingly out of fresh ideas.

• Asus ROG Ally X Review: Touted as the best Windows gaming handheld by a mile.

• Samsung Galaxy Ring Review: Another device aimed at keeping users within Samsung’s ecosystem.

• Google’s Next Streaming Player: Not resembling the Chromecast, indicating a shift in Google’s strategy.

Lightning Round

• Apple Maps on the Web: A new challenge to Google Maps as Apple expands its reach.

• NBA on Prime Video: Starting in 2025, many games will be available on Amazon’s streaming service.

• 4K Streaming Challenges: The increasing effort required to stream in 4K, hinting at a future dominated by ads and slightly blurry visuals.

• Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max Bundle: Now available, offering a comprehensive streaming package.

• Rivian CEO on CarPlay: Confirms it isn’t going to happen, disappointing many Rivian enthusiasts.

The landscape of streaming is shifting towards ads and bundles.

Conclusion

The Vergecast highlights a transformative moment for the internet and technology. With the rise of AI-powered search engines like SearchGPT, the landscape of web search is changing rapidly. Google remains a powerhouse, but new competitors are emerging. Meanwhile, gadget news and streaming services continue to evolve, offering consumers more options and challenges.