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Last week, I asked a simple question in my Beyond the Prompt newsletter: Is this the end of "Googling it?"I argued that we're moving away from an internet where we discover information ourselves toward one where AI simply hands us an answer. My biggest concern is the long-term visibility of the web. If fewer people click through to the original reporting, reviews and research that AI depends on, who, or rather, what is creating the knowledge. My inbox blew up!I expected the responses to split neatly into two camps: people who love AI search and people who hate it. Instead, your emails revealed something much more interesting.Almost nobody turned this into an AI-versus-Google debate. Instead, many of you argued that the problems with search started long before ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity arrived. That gave me pause. Maybe AI isn't replacing search because it's inherently better, but rather it's succeeding because traditional search had already become frustrating enough that people were ready for something different.For many of you, Google is the real problem
(Image credit: Shutterstock)One of the strongest themes running through your emails had very little to do with AI and everything to do with search."AI is not killing 'Googling it.' Google's endless push for profit is killing 'Googling it.'," write Bobbie L. "For some time now, search engines have been throwing up pages and pages of barely relevant links... It's like wading through an obstacle course of sales pitches for second-hand cars when all I wanted was research on safety."AI is not killing 'Googling it.' Google's endless push for profit is killing 'Googling it.'— Bobbie L.Steve H. echoed that frustration in his email. "I do enjoy doing research on Google, but the amount of pop-up ads is now overwhelming. I understand ads pay the bills, but it has become the majority of screen time!"Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.That perspective resonated with me because it reframes the conversation. When the web becomes a minefield of SEO fluff, pop-ups and sponsored links, an AI-generated answer feels necessary.AI shines when the question gets complicated
