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>Lock-in and network effects with current AI tools is almost zero. People will readily switch to Gemini once they realize it can do their work better. Lock-in

>Lock-in and network effects with current AI tools is almost zero. People will readily switch to Gemini once they realize it can do their work better. Lock-in for search engines should be near zero and yet people won't bother switching to or even trying potentially better options. At the end of the day, people don't leave what they are used to easily.

chubot 2y ago
This is largely a browser UI and browser control issue though There’s a reason google pays both Apple and Mozilla billions to be the default on Safari and Firefox. And why MS makes its own browser, as a complement to its search engine So yeah I wonder if this same dynamic plays out for AI, or if something else happens. I guess Google hopes it will, and that’s one reason they show AI answers about the search results now
weatherlite 2y ago
I don't think there's a better search engine than Google, there I said it. Sure it's filled with spam, but I find it hard to believe something like Bing is more likely to give me what I'm searching for than Google. Its more than just a search engine, I use it for routes (maps), bus and train times, finding businesses close to me etc etc. It became a whole ecosystem that's not going to be that easy for a rival to outperform. The few times I tried Bing it looked very low quality compared to Google. And even if Bing improved immensely, it just took them way too long. 20 years after Google is just too late to the party. I have really formed a habit quite strong now that I need a compelling reason to switch to Bing/Whatever - and what is that reason again? This is simply not the case with ChatGPT / Gemini. They are likely equal now, so Google was perhaps 1-2 years late to the party. I think many people haven't formed a strong habit yet of which A.I to use.
- famouswaffles 2y ago
  I don't think there's anything better either but i haven't actually tested any other search engine in years so what do i know right ? Unless a search engine blows google out of the water and gets everyone talking, switching won't even be on the table. Why bother switching for something that is just as good or slightly better if you've been using your current option for a while ? Consumers are much stickier than that.
crazygringo 2y ago
> Lock-in for search engines should be near zero and yet people won't bother switching to or even trying potentially better options. What are you talking about? People use Google because they choose it. They change search from the Bing default as one of the first things they do on a new machine. For most users there isn't anything better than Google. The niche search needs that might lead a HN user to an alternative engine don't apply.
- famouswaffles 2y ago
  >What are you talking about? People use Google because they choose it. They change search from the Bing default as one of the first things they do on a new machine. For most users there isn't anything better than Google. The niche search needs that might lead a HN user to an alternative engine don't apply. I'm not sure what's hard to understand with what i'm saying? You think the users changing the default from Bing did so after a lengthy evaluation of quality ? No, they did it because they're used to Google. It's that simple. It's not even about whether google is truly the best or not.
  - crazygringo 2y ago
    > No, they did it because they're used to Google. It's that simple. It's not even about whether google is truly the best or not. Except it's not. Remember how everyone switched to Altavista in 1996 because it was so much better? Remember how Yahoo took over in 1999 because it was so much better? Remember how people switched to Google in 2003 because it was so much better? History shows people actually do switch search engines when there's a better one. And they do so quickly. I mean, look at how quickly people adopted ChatGPT for some of the things they used to do with Google! They're not switching away from Google now for regular serach simply because there isn't a better one for most people. You have zero evidence for claiming it's because they're "used to Google". People didn't stay with Altavista or Yahoo because they were "used to them". So why would that be any different for Google? The answer it that it's not.
    - avgd 2y ago

chubot 2y ago

This is largely a browser UI and browser control issue though There’s a reason google pays both Apple and Mozilla billions to be the default on Safari and Firefox. And why MS makes its own browser, as a complement to its search engine So yeah I wonder if this same dynamic plays out for AI, or if something else happens. I guess Google hopes it will, and that’s one reason they show AI answers about the search results now

weatherlite 2y ago

I don't think there's a better search engine than Google, there I said it. Sure it's filled with spam, but I find it hard to believe something like Bing is more likely to give me what I'm searching for than Google. Its more than just a search engine, I use it for routes (maps), bus and train times, finding businesses close to me etc etc. It became a whole ecosystem that's not going to be that easy for a rival to outperform. The few times I tried Bing it looked very low quality compared to Google. And even if Bing improved immensely, it just took them way too long. 20 years after Google is just too late to the party. I have really formed a habit quite strong now that I need a compelling reason to switch to Bing/Whatever - and what is that reason again? This is simply not the case with ChatGPT / Gemini. They are likely equal now, so Google was perhaps 1-2 years late to the party. I think many people haven't formed a strong habit yet of which A.I to use.

famouswaffles 2y ago
I don't think there's anything better either but i haven't actually tested any other search engine in years so what do i know right ? Unless a search engine blows google out of the water and gets everyone talking, switching won't even be on the table. Why bother switching for something that is just as good or slightly better if you've been using your current option for a while ? Consumers are much stickier than that.

crazygringo 2y ago

> Lock-in for search engines should be near zero and yet people won't bother switching to or even trying potentially better options. What are you talking about? People use Google because they choose it. They change search from the Bing default as one of the first things they do on a new machine. For most users there isn't anything better than Google. The niche search needs that might lead a HN user to an alternative engine don't apply.

famouswaffles 2y ago
>What are you talking about? People use Google because they choose it. They change search from the Bing default as one of the first things they do on a new machine. For most users there isn't anything better than Google. The niche search needs that might lead a HN user to an alternative engine don't apply. I'm not sure what's hard to understand with what i'm saying? You think the users changing the default from Bing did so after a lengthy evaluation of quality ? No, they did it because they're used to Google. It's that simple. It's not even about whether google is truly the best or not.
- crazygringo 2y ago
  > No, they did it because they're used to Google. It's that simple. It's not even about whether google is truly the best or not. Except it's not. Remember how everyone switched to Altavista in 1996 because it was so much better? Remember how Yahoo took over in 1999 because it was so much better? Remember how people switched to Google in 2003 because it was so much better? History shows people actually do switch search engines when there's a better one. And they do so quickly. I mean, look at how quickly people adopted ChatGPT for some of the things they used to do with Google! They're not switching away from Google now for regular serach simply because there isn't a better one for most people. You have zero evidence for claiming it's because they're "used to Google". People didn't stay with Altavista or Yahoo because they were "used to them". So why would that be any different for Google? The answer it that it's not.
  - avgd 2y ago