Social media marketing is constantly shifting as technology changes. The next phase of technology is upon on us: artificial intelligence. As business leaders and marketing executives, it’s imperative to not only stay on top of technological changes but ahead of them. AI chatbots in particular will be changing the way we understand search engine optimization, customer interaction, and social media algorithms. On February 6th, Google unveiled Bard, its AI alternative to ChatGPT, which is arguably reshaping the landscape of artificial intelligence and the future of the internet. So, what exactly is ChatGPT, and how does Google’s Bard compare?

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is a module from OpenAI (which Elon Musk is a co-founder of) that is an artificial intelligence query search engine that acts as a personal assistant or customer service line. In other words, instead of searching for answers in Google and being inundated with a myriad of websites and blogs to sift through, ChatGPT gives answers in a chat that is highly personalized and easy to understand, as if talking to a human. Think of it as a chat box for any query that mimics human interaction. 

In a breakdown video by Adrian Twarog, he shows an example of inputting a code that he has a problem with. When he inputs the code that is not working, ChatGPT not only sends him back the corrected code but also breaks down the answer in a simple explanation. The below example is ChatGPT’s response when Twarog asks for three dishes without carbs to help lose weight:

Not only does ChatGPT breakdown the recipes and how to cook them, but when asked for a shopping list, ChatGPT produces an easy-to-read list, which is a nice break from food blogs that desperately need to ramp up their SEO by packing in unnecessary stories and histories of the recipes before getting to the actual recipe. I’m looking at you….The Kitchn!

The AI Tech Race: What is Google Bard and How Will ChatGPT be Used by Bing?

Between Gen Z shifting to Social Search and ChatGPT taking off, Google has legitimate concerns about losing its place as the top place for search. ChatGPT was founded in November of 2022 and by January 2023, reached over 100 million users, with 13 million active users per day. To heighten the AI race, competitor Microsoft confirmed a multibillion-dollar investment in OpenAI and has incorporated ChatGPT into Bing, Edge, and Skype. While these are available on iOS and Android, if you haven’t gotten it yet, you’ll need to join the waitlist, which Microsoft says always has over 1 million people across 169 countries. Microsoft has applied AI to Bing’s core search engine ranking, which brought Bing the largest relevancy increase for search in two decades. 

So, what exactly is Google Bard? Bard is Google’s version of the AI chatbot, which is based on the same technology as ChatGPT. While Google has been focusing on bold and innovative steps for its own AI chatbot, there was panic as ChatGPT undermines Google’s entire business structure by tailoring relevant, human-like answers to search queries. With Google’s breadth of knowledge and its own AI language LaMDA: Language Models for Dialog Applications, Bard is poised to help Google keep its dominance as the number one search engine – that is if it can catch up to ChatGPT’s exponential growth.

What Does AI Search Mean for SEO?

As marketers, search engine optimization (SEO) is an extremely important and lucrative field of marketing. SEO is a way to optimize the language on a business’ website through copy on the site’s pages and content like blogs, so search engines (mainly Google) will deem the site as relevant. The more relevant Google decides a website to be, the more likely the site is to be ranked at the top of the search results under paid ads. 

This new era of search technology may be a threat to SEO marketing. Google has already made the need for clicks less important. For example, Google offers up “instant answers” for certain queries, eliminating the need for searches to click on websites. Now, over 64% of searches no longer require consumers to click on sites. Fewer clicks mean less relevance in the eyes of Google, hurting SEO rankings. 

Is AI killing SEO? Probably not. As CEO of Dream Softin, an AR and VR company, Sachin Ganesh pointed out, this may be a move to Answer Engine Optimization. Users will not be “searching” for websites but now looking for answers. AEO is a subset of SEO that came from Google’s switch from a key-word driven search engine to one that uses AI, machine learning, and natural language generation (NLG). When looking for businesses and experts for more complex issues or for actual services, consumers will still need to search for answers and go to websites for information. As technology evolves, so too has SEO and digital marketing in general. Hence why we have a monthly blog dedicated to social media app updates. 

How Do Consumers Feel About AI and ChatGPT?

In science fiction stories are two types of people: those who love AI and those who fear it may be the downfall of humanity. But how do people feel in real life? It’s too far off. Through an analysis with NetBase Pro we discover that the majority of people talking about ChatGPT are not advocates for AI Chatbots. 

While many people trying to push blogs and jump on Twitter engagements with content claiming that ChatGPT is a “free assistant” that will save money (“free money-minting machine”) by doing research and generating content, many consumers are weary of the intentional or unintentional bias the algorithms may have. 

People have shown potential political bias, incorrect answers, and morality limitations of AI. Others are concerned about the effects it may have on human jobs, which was a criticism of the art-generating app Lensa which went viral a few months ago. Artists, editors, writers, and assistants may have fewer job opportunities now. ChatGPT’s ability to write and fix code may put web designers and programmers in a precarious job situation as well. In addition, the ethical question around education -should ChatGPT be banned or used for think pieces- is only starting to boil as schools are catching up with the technology.

How AI chatbots will change the future of search is still yet to be determined, especially given that Google Bard’s launch has been criticized as “rushed” and “botched”. As marketers and business owners, it’s imperative to be at the forefront of these technological changes. If you’re wondering how your brand can leverage new updates for your marketing strategy, schedule a free consultation with us here. 

What We’re Reading:

• ChatGPT Burns Millions Every Day. Can Computer Scientists Make AI One Million Times More Efficient? – Forbes
• Bill Gates says ChatGPT will ‘change the world,’ make jobs more efficient – Fox Business 
• A robot’s $100 billion error: Alphabet shares tank after its ChatGPT rival makes a mistake in its very first ad – Fortune 
• TikTok’s Latest Trend: De-Influencing, LashGate, and Brand Authenticity
• BuzzFeed & Meta Partnership
• 5 Social Media Trends in 2023 to Watch For