Latest News: The Search Shift
Stay on top of the trends in how people search today.
Yext
Nov 13, 2024
Cut through the noise: your weekly, no-fluff update on the biggest shifts in AI and search trends — for marketers, by marketers.
Week of February 10
LinkedIn is testing an AI tool that could transform how people search for jobs
AI comes to the job search: the tool could help users discover new roles they might have missed in the typical search process..
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Google Search testing ‘AI Mode’
It’s a new way to search by asking more open-ended and exploratory questions, with the option to follow up. Competition with SearchGPT, anyone?
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Week of February 3
OpenAI drops sign-in requirement for ChatGPT search
ChatGPT Search is now fully open to everyone — no account needed. Users can access AI-powered web search without signing up.
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Google Search launches Ask for me
A new Search Labs experiment signals a step forward for agentic AI: Google AI calls businesses to find out what they charge for a service and when it’s available.
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Google adds WhatsApp Chat to GBP
Businesses with a claimed and verified Business Profile can add a WhatsApp or text messaging option, opening up new ways to connect with customers.
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Week of January 26
OpenAI launches Operator, an AI agent
It’s a big step forward for agentic AI: Operator can perform tasks like ordering groceries or booking travel, improving efficiency for users and opening new engagement opportunities for brands.
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Introducing Citations on the Anthropic API
The new feature aims to boost trustworthiness and accountability for applications like document summarization and complex Q&A.
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What to know about DeepSeek and how it’s upending AI
The Chinese AI startup has developed a chatbot that appears to rival leading models like ChatGPT, achieving this with significantly fewer resources and at a fraction of the cost.
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Week of January 20
Perplexity launches Sonar, an API for AI search
Now, enterprises and developers can build the startup’s generative AI search tools into their own applications.
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Microsoft opens testing for Windows AI search
The tech uses semantic indexing to let users search for local files using more casual language.
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Microsoft-backed firm Mistral sees the world moving beyond AI models this year
The future of AI will be “systems” that are connected to data and able to act in an agentic way, Mistral’s CEO predicts.
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Week of January 12
ChatGPT becomes more Siri-like with new scheduled tasks feature
With “Tasks,” users can manage calendar reminders and streamline tasks across various applications.
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Agentic AI will change everything – including marketing
Agentic AI doesn’t just predict or create, it acts. Tell it to plan a beach vacation and it doesn’t just give a list of options – it books the flights.
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Gartner predicts mobile app usage will decrease 25% due to AI assistants by 2027
“CMOs should begin scenario planning for the impacts of decreased mobile app usage," said Emily Weiss, Senior Principal for the Gartner Marketing Practice.
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Week of January 6
AI means the end of internet search as we’ve known it
The biggest change to the way search engines have delivered information to us since the 1990s is happening right now. AI-driven search is here to stay. .
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Google predicts the future of AI agents: Five lessons for brands
AI agents are on the rise. Here’s what you should know.
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Microsoft: 6 AI trends you’ll see more of in 2025
In 2025, AI will evolve from a tool for work and home to an integral part of both.
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Week of December 30
OpenAI advances LLM safety
OpenAI’s "deliberative alignment" strategy trains o-series models to reason over safety specifications, enhancing their ability to handle malicious prompts and respond safely.
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ChatGPT vs. Google: Who wins in search?
An analysis of 62 queries reveals that ChatGPT search excels in content gap analysis and disambiguation queries while Google outperforms in commercial and local searches.
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Week of December 16
Google launches December 2024 core update
The latest update signals Google’s ongoing push to refine search algorithms, impacting visibility and rankings across the web.
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Level up your AI game with 24 tips from 2024
From saving time and planning smarter to learning faster and creating with ease, discover Google’s top AI-powered tricks to help you make the most of the year ahead.
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Google DeepMind unveils Gemini 2.0
Google's newest AI model can create images, videos, and audio, while also using tools like Google Search. It’s designed to think, plan, and act like a smart assistant.
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ChatGPT search adds voice queries and mobile maps
OpenAI updates ChatGPT Search with voice search, global access for free users, and mobile integration with Apple and Google Maps for real-time local results on restaurants, stores, and nearby activities.
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Week of December 9
OpenAI releases Sora, its buzzy AI video-generation tool
With Sora, the maker of ChatGPT is looking to compete with video-generation AI tools from companies such as Meta and Google.
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Siri finally gets local search
Now that ChatGPT has been added to Siri as part of iOS 18.2, we're likely to see a significant increase in Siri usage, a good portion of which will be local.
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Meta unveils a new, more efficient Llama model
Competition in the AI space continues to heat up with Meta’s latest announcement.
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Week of December 2
Surprising data: 15% of Google searches are driven by only 148 terms
Most of the top terms are navigational, like 'near me.' For brands, nailing local search optimization is still critical to staying visible where it matters most.
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Amazon announces its own set of Nova AI models
With its own models, the tech giant is officially stepping into the AI spotlight to compete with OpenAI and Google.
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Apple says it uses Amazon’s custom AI chips
It’s a sign that collaboration — not just competition — is shaping the future of AI.
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Week of November 25
Amazon to invest another $4 billion in Anthropic, OpenAI’s biggest rival
The partnership not only accelerates the development of Anthropic's AI models but also integrates them into AWS's ecosystem. This positions Amazon as a major player in advancing AI technologies.
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Threads tests AI-powered trending topic summaries and new search tools
Users can now search for date-specific and account-specific post searches, plus AI-powered summaries to enhance user engagement with trending discussions.
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Week of November 18
Perplexity’s AI search engine can now buy products for you with one click
By integrating shopping directly into AI search, Perplexity’s update challenges “traditional” platforms, signaling a major shift in how customers find and buy products.
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Reddit introduces AI features to help brands show more relevant ads
Reddit is using AI to better understand what people in its communities are talking about — and help brands get their ads in front of the right people at the right time. These contextual opportunities could challenge other social media platforms in the digital ad space.
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Google’s Gemini chatbot now has memory
Similar to ChatGPT, Gemini can now add context to conversations with users. For example, tell Gemini to remember foods you like, and the next time you ask for restaurant recommendations, it can tailor suggestions based on your prior inputs.
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Week of November 11
Soon you may be having conversations with Google Search
Google is testing a voice-to-search feature that allows real-time, conversational follow-ups directly in Google Search. Users can ask follow-ups without retyping, and Google responds with links and AI-generated summaries.
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ChatGPT monthly usage now rivals Google Chrome
The use of generative AI tools is growing quickly, with ChatGPT leading with 3.7 billion visits — already surpassing Google Chrome.
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Nearly half of customers are turning to AI to find brand information
Yext's latest research reveals that while traditional search engines are still popular, customers often use multiple sources to find information about your brand.
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Week of November 4
ChatGPT Search is now out of beta
No more switching to search engines — ChatGPT is now a one-stop tool for AI answers and up-to-date info.
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Meta is reportedly working on its own AI-powered search engine, too
The search engine would reportedly provide AI-generated summaries of current events within the Meta AI chatbot.
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Apple Intelligence has launched on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac
The first set of features includes smarter notifications, a more capable Siri, and tools for rewriting text. It’s Apple’s first major AI push, but it’ll be far from its last.
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