In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, partnerships and collaborations between tech giants have the potential to reshape the industry. Recent reports from March suggested that Samsung was considering integrating Bing AI, powered by ChatGPT, into its ecosystem. This potential move would have significant implications for Google, the dominant player in the search engine market.
Whilst Samsung reportedly was in internal discussions over the change, recent reports suggest that the move has since been put on the backburner after the discovered that the use of Google as the default search engine on Android devices was a requirement for phone manufacturers to use Google’s Android Software on their devices.
Adapt or be Left Behind
Nonetheless, the discussion and buzz around the possibility that major phone manufacturers are considering using other search engines due to their AI capabilities are sure to have put pressure on Google who for some time have had a monopoly on search users, and most importantly the Ad revenue generated. Apple is also rumoured to be producing its own search engine in the future, something we might hear more of in June when they hold their annual software conference. This chatter has only further stressed the changes technology can have in a short period of time, and why it is important to be adapting and evolving to technological evolvements.
For Google, this has meant the development and rather rushed release of Google Bard which so far has been criticised for its limited responses and the lack of accurate information it pulls from the internet. Our limited testing with Google Bard required us to amend our requests multiple times to get an accurate response, something your average consumer will be unwilling to put up with, particularly if it is to be implemented into voice searches in the future.
The Appeal of Bing AI (ChatGPT) for Samsung
Samsung’s interest in integrating Bing AI, specifically ChatGPT, stemmed from the advanced conversational capabilities and natural language understanding it offers. ChatGPT has grown to be widely recognised as the industry leader in AI-based chatbots. For Samsung, integrating AI into their ecosystem through their default search engine could give them an edge over competitors like Apple, which has yet to make any announcement when it comes to advanced AI integrations beyond the now-dated Siri.
It’s also understandable from a financial point of view. Google reportedly makes over $4.5 billion per year from their search engine being on Samsung devices. It is logical for Samsung to be exploring other options with that kind of money involved.
Enhanced User Experience and Ecosystem Integration
The integration of AI into products is something we have been seeing for some time, whether it be Siri or ‘Ok Google’. However, their capabilities are limited by the system’s lack of ability to learn and adapt and the fact that they are programmed to merely give a response pulled from the limited databases that they have access to. While advanced AI chatbots such as ChatGPT and even Google’s Bard are able to pull from the whole internet, this allows them to not just give you direct responses but to write whole essays, blogs, and articles. For example, I asked ChatGPT to explain the above, and this is what it said:
I am a text-based AI language model designed for generating human-like text responses and engaging in conversations across various platforms, while Siri is a voice-based virtual assistant primarily integrated within Apple devices for voice commands, device control, and ecosystem integration.
What Would Changes Mean for Google?
Any changes to search engine integration due to AI advancements could be detrimental to Google. In Australia, Mobile devices make up over 57% of search engine traffic, and of that, Apple and Samsung make up over 85% of the country’s mobile devices. That means if Apple and Samsung were both to drop Google as their default search engines, then Google would lose almost 49% of their overall search market share. That’s not even taking into account Apple computers which would add 12.6% to the market share loss, meaning a total potential search traffic loss of over 61% across all devices.
With current SEO and online advertising geared towards Google’s search engine, any change could result in a loss in organic traffic if plans are not put into place should changes to the industry occur.
At Daisy Digital, we are always ahead of the curve when it comes to advancements in technology and changes to the search engine infrastructure. As an SEO or Google Ads client of ours, you can trust us to change our strategy to advance with the times and the ever-changing framework, and if someday Google’s dominance in search were to change, Daisy would be ready and capable of implementing the latest strategy to help your business thrive.
