[lelanthran]

> An AI assistant fundamentally hits at Google's gut: Search ad revenue.

I understand this argument, having made it multiple times in the past - any development at google that threatens the cash cow will, ultimately, go nowhere. Why, after all, would they spend money developing something that reduces their income.

After a little bit of thinking about it, I offer an alternate future for google+AI: the AI improves their ad relevancy to such a degree that it makes google search more valuable, not less.

With all the data they have on each individual using their search, it is not inconceivable that that data + an inferior model beats out a superior model that has less context.

[hightrix]

> the AI improves their ad relevancy to such a degree that it makes google search more valuable, not less.

More valuable to who? In this case it seems like more relevant ads increases the value of Google Search to advertisers but not necessarily users.

If, as a user, I see ads that are more directly targeted at me, that is a negative value in a search engine. I never want targeted ads. I only want to see what I searched for.

That said, for the small minority of users like me, Google may never be able to overcome their “advertising company” label. And that label is an instant black list.

[lelanthran]

> > the AI improves their ad relevancy to such a degree that it makes google search more valuable, not less.

> More valuable to who?

To the paying customers - advertisers.

> In this case it seems like more relevant ads increases the value of Google Search to advertisers but not necessarily users.

So? Google doesn't care about its users, and hasn't for a very long time now.

Google became profitable purely because they delivered the most value to advertisers, by way of having the most eyeballs. More relevant advertisements are not going to reduce the number of eyeballs that google sells.

> If, as a user, I see ads that are more directly targeted at me, that is a negative value in a search engine.

And those users will be lost in the noise, a statistical rounding error, if that. Losing unprofitable users helps Google become even more profitable.