3 AI Search Engines you should try right now

 

Introduction

After the introduction of ChatGPT, people started using it as a search engine for complex queries and custom responses, eliminating the time needed to visit pages and pages on Google to find the right answers, but there was a problem: while it would return usually meaningful and useful results, it sometimes returns also dummy results that were just generated. To overcome this, some companies, including OpenAI itself, started melting the generative power of LLMs (large language models) with the results of traditional search engines. All this resulted in the creation of the so-called “AI search engines”. In this article, I’m going to show you some of the best options of AI search engines.

 ChatGPT (extra)

 

You’re asking, why did I put there ChatGPT if I just said it was the problem that brought to AI search engines? Well, actually ChatGPT became one of them, kind of… let me explain… to solve the problem of dummy results, a plugin for web search was introduced, allowing the model to answer with meaningful and updated information, but this is only accessible through the Pro subscription. I put it here not because it’s part of the 6 I want to suggest, but because if you already have a ChatGPT Pro subscription, this might be useful for you to know.

Anyway… let’s get started with the real list!

 Microsoft Copilot

Based on Bing search and GPT-4 (yes, because Microsoft actually funds OpenAI in exchange for technology usage), Microsoft Copilot is able to answer specific questions and cite the sources where it found all the information and, it also includes an image generator (another time from OpenAI, specifically DALL-E 3).

 Pros

-        Powered by GPT-4, (one of) the most advanced model out there, which here is made freely available, and Bing, one of the most famous search engine

-        You can generate AI images, too

-        Cites the sources used in the responses

-        You can choose what type of conversation you want between Creative, Balanced and Precise

-        Follow-up questions are suggested

Cons

-        It also has the ability to upload and analyze images, but the results are not accurate enough, making the feature useless

-        Even if you can ask follow-up questions keeping the search context, Microsoft limits them (usually to 30 questions) to prevent service misuse/abuse

-        Microsoft makes all these features free to keep you on their ecosystem, in fact they limit the number of follow-up questions available to you (usually only 3) and the speed of the search (about a 3x slowdown) if you don’t have a Microsoft account or you don’t use Edge, its browser. Also if you don’t have a Microsoft account you can’t generate images.

 Google Gemini

 

 Inroduced by Google to rival OpenAI and Microsoft, Gemini aims to be the direct competitor of Microsoft Copilot. Currently it’s only in Beta and some features are still unavailable (like integrations with Maps, Drive, etc.), but it’s usable enough for most of the queries. Gemini, similar to ChatGPT, has also a paid plan called “Advanced” that uses a more advanced model called “Ultra”, but the free plan is enough for most users.

 Pros

-        Answers are really fast, sometimes visibly faster than ChatGPT

-        Answers are usually detailed and explanatory, while easy to be read

-        Other than the primary answer, Gemini generates automatically 2 additional drafts so you can choose the answer you prefer

-        You can edit the generated answer to be shorter, longer, easier, more informal or more professional

-        Unlimited follow-up questions

-        Uploaded images analysis is really powerful (probably also thanks to Google Lens technology)

Cons

-        Sources citation isn’t automatic and you have to press a button after Gemini answered your question

-        You need a Google account to use Gemini

 Perplexity

 

This is the AI search engine I prefer to use. It’s probably the most successful mixture between the simplicity of a traditional search engine and the superpowers of an AI product.

Also, it uses a custom AI model specifically designed for search results, while the other models, simplifying a lot, received the ability to integrate themselves with updated search results only after being initially trained.

 Pros

-        Answers are usually even faster than Gemini

-        It masters the ability to add citations to the answer provided, showing directly the sources on top of the page

-        As an “exclusive” feature, Perplexity also searches for images and videos regarding your queries, making it the only real ready replacement for a traditional search engine

-        Follow-up questions are not limited and it also suggests some follow-ups you would probably ask

-        You can attach a document to your search, also if on the free plan it’s limited to 3 documents a day

-        No account is required to search (but I suggest it as you’re able to save your searches for later)

-        Focus modes allow Perplexity to focus on specific actions. You can choose between All (default), Academic, Writing, Wolfram|Alpha, YouTube and Reddit

-        There is a Discover section which is focused on recent news, where the AI gets information from different sources and generates a single “article”

-        It isn’t part of a big tech company as Microsoft and Google

Cons

-        (Also if you can search in different languages,) Currently the website is available in English only so all the content and the Discover section won’t appear in your main language if it’s not English

-        If you set a preferred language inside settings, the language will always be used, also if you write your query in a different language

 Conclusion

I hope with this article you learned a bit more about these AI search engines.

While my main suggestion is to use Perplexity, you should try them all, as the right tool for me may not be the one for you. Also, after choosing the one to go, don’t miss the fact that other ones could still be useful when you can’t find or get what you are searching for.

 Do you know other AI search engines I didn’t mention here? Let everybody know down in the comments!

 Today’s Blogger

Hi, I'm Giorgio Bellisario, a Liceo Scientifico student. My passion revolves around tech and everything computer-related. Coding is my favorite hobby, and I primarily focus on web development, crafting websites from scratch. If you're intrigued by all things tech and ethical "hacking", you've come to the right place.