Introduction
Traditional search engines such as Google have long dominated the way we access information online. It must be said that Google excels at many everyday searches: finding documentation, legal information, a news item and even checking the week’s weather. However, generative AI and search engines can complement each other to offer more contextualised and innovative answers.
To write this article, I classified the types of search so that I could compare the effectiveness of Google and generative AI.
Comparing generative AI with a search engine
Traditional search engines have proved their worth: they are fast, reliable for factual information and point to verifiable sources. Their main limitation lies in the difficulty of handling complex or ambiguous queries.
Generative AI excels at creating tailor-made tutorials and generating innovative ideas. It can provide detailed, personalised and even creative answers, synthesising information from various sources to give more nuanced and contextual answers.
However, it is not free of flaws, notably the risk of “hallucinations”, that is, the generation of erroneous or non-existent information, and the fact that it does not always cite its sources.
What if we combined a search engine and generative AI?
- More complete answers: AI can combine information from several sources to provide a more exhaustive overview.
- Better contextualisation: AI can interpret the user’s query and adapt the answer to the specific context.
- Flexible answer formats: AI can present information as summaries, bullet lists, tables or even charts, depending on what suits best.
- Real-time updates: By drawing on the most recent search engine data, AI can provide up-to-date information.
Examples of use
- Supplier search: Generative AI can provide summaries of solutions and reviews, whilst a search engine lists sites with factual information. Together, they improve decision-making by offering different output formats.
- News: Generative AI can synthesise and summarise news articles, offering a quick, personalised overview, whilst a search engine provides a variety of sources. Together, they allow a thorough and efficient understanding of current events.
- Documents and information sources: Generative AI can analyse and summarise vast sets of documents, making it easy to extract key information quickly, whilst a search engine identifies and ranks the relevant sources. Together, they improve the efficiency and depth of document research.
- Organisation: Generative AI can synthesise information related to organisation, whilst a search engine gives you real-time information such as the weather, journey times and restaurant recommendations. Together, they can offer complete, smooth and efficient planning.
Use cases
This hybrid approach acts as a powerful assistant that boosts human capabilities in various fields.
- In marketing, for example, it can quickly synthesise market trends by combining recent data with historical analysis.
- For product searches, it can explore websites, identify potential suppliers and generate detailed comparisons.
- For automated monitoring, this approach can collect recent content via search engines and social network APIs, then turn this information into summary reports or audio content, making information easier to access for professionals.
This synergy between generative AI, search engines and human expertise opens up new perspectives in the professional world. It is not intended to replace humans, but rather to amplify their capabilities, allowing professionals to concentrate on higher-value tasks and push back the limits of innovation and creativity.
An example of using a search engine and generative AI on uControlAi
Use case: A lawyer wants to integrate an electronic signature solution for signing contracts. The lawyer wants a comparison table for contract signing.
The lawyer uses a generative AI scenario.
How the scenario works:
- Search engine: searches for the terms and conditions of electronic signature providers
- The scenario will ask for the important points for the lawyer
- Each set of terms and conditions will be summarised, highlighting the important points
- Finally, a comparison table will be produced
- Once the scenario has been launched, all this information will be saved in the AI Space, allowing the lawyer to edit it or export it.
Conclusion: a promising future
In conclusion, generative AI will not completely replace traditional search engines in companies, but it will complement them significantly. This combination offers many advantages: more contextualised answers, better analysis of complex information, greater personalisation of results and automation of professional tasks.
Thanks to these changes, professionals can concentrate on higher-value tasks, thereby boosting innovation and productivity. The future in business therefore lies in an intelligent and complementary use of these technologies, where human expertise remains essential for interpreting and applying the results obtained.