ChatGPT is on everyone’s lips, and of course, I’ve tried it out too. I especially like using it for smaller Python scripts, though not always successfully. I hardly use LLMs for information; the answers have been too mixed so far. To this day, I prefer to get my knowledge directly from the sources, found via search engines.

Unfortunately, there’s a lot of junk out there. Google’s ranking, in particular, now ensures that more and more cobbled-together, if not generated, content ends up in the top spots. Giga.de has a generic article for every IT problem that usually doesn’t help at all. But it’s the big sites with a lot of SEO and reach that are favored by Google and others. Why put a well-crafted blog article in the top spots instead of five threads on Reddit?

And this is where I see the problem with SearchGPT. It’s supposed to provide direct answers and then link to the source for more in-depth research. But many will be satisfied with the direct answer, which is why OpenAI is currently actively seeking partnerships with large websites. The potential sources for the answers will therefore be limited, which also makes sense from a legal standpoint. But consequently, SearchGPT will hardly access the diversity of the internet. Are you looking for a guide on how to secure a server? My post on the topic certainly won’t show up in SearchGPT. Even on Google, the post is barely visible; my blog is unfortunately not very profitable for Google from a monetization perspective.

And if we’re being honest, SearchGPT will also become a one-sided source of information, fitting OpenAI’s ideology. This already happens enough on the internet; X has become a right-wing bubble, while Mastodon is heavily left-leaning. The algorithms already limit our ability to think outside the box. SearchGPT won’t make this any better, as its limited sources will prevent it from reflecting the diversity of the internet. The very diversity that made the internet great and gave people a sense of freedom. A freedom that people have been willingly sacrificing for years to the profit motives of a few companies. Because it’s comfortable, because it’s easy.

And for these reasons, SearchGPT will surely be a success, simply because it makes critical thinking unnecessary. You don’t have to evaluate and compare sources; you get a ready-made answer and can turn your attention to the next topic. What’s written there must be true.

**As a user, don’t I lose the diversity of the internet if SearchGPT primarily relies on partner sources and large platforms? Excerpt from ChatGPT’s answer:
While SearchGPT and similar technologies can improve the efficiency and accuracy of information retrieval, there is a risk that the diversity of the internet and access to different perspectives and niche content will suffer. […]