AI search's user experience may be the best it'll ever get, says one founder
By day, Lily Clifford is the CEO and founder of Rime Labs. The startup creates the voice on the other end of the line when you call to order from restaurants like Domino's or Wingstop. Rime trains AI models to create voices with specific regional accents, tones, and other elements that make them easier to converse with.
Clifford also uses AI in her daily life, especially in lieu of search engines, she told Business Insider.
Instead of pulling up a search engine when she has a question, Clifford usually turns to generative AI chatbots like OpenAI's ChatGPT or Google's Gemini.
She said the experience reminds her of using Google or other search engines in the late 1990s and early 2000s. That's when she thinks the user experience was at its prime.
"My hot take here is these applications might be the best that they ever will be," she said.
Search engines used to be simpler, Clifford said. There were far fewer ads and sponsored results. And optimizing webpages to get more clicks — a practice known as SEO — was in its infancy.
Those developments spawned new businesses and became features of the modern internet. But Clifford said search results have also gotten worse for users. It's common to see multiple sponsored results above more relevant ones in a search, for instance.
AI chatbots, meanwhile, haven't gone through the same evolution — yet.
Companies and individuals are still experimenting with usinggenerative AI for lots of tasks, from writing emails to creating images for advertising campaigns.
Many people, like Clifford, use AI as a replacement for search engines.
Ask AI a question, and it will often give you an answer in just a few sentences. For some, that's more appealing than clicking through several results from a search engine until you find the information that you're looking for.
AI search results can also give users contradictory or incorrect information, though, creating a potential downside to the quick-and-easy answers.
Still, Clifford noticed the user experience gap between the chatbots and search engines during a recent trip to Milan, she said. While there, she used an AI chatbot to look for a local place to buy a silk blouse. The chatbot pointed her toward a local seamstress who sold custom blouses through Instagram.
"It wasn't like 'Go to Forever 21,' which is probably what would've happened if I typed it into Google," she said. "It was totally wild and fun to use."
But, Clifford thinks it's a matter of time before AI chatbots go the way of the search engines before them.
Some companies with big investments in generative AI search tools are taking steps in that direction.
Last month, Google said it would expand its use of ads in some of the AI Overviews that appear at the top of its search results, for example.
And some marketing experts now offer help with " answer engine optimization," or AEO.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
30 minutes ago
- Forbes
Four Strategies To Outsmart Data Pitfalls In Product Innovation
Ramalakshmi Murugan leads product strategy and operations for the Google Play Analytics team at Google. In the age of "data is the new oil," product teams are increasingly leveraging vast amounts of data to fuel innovation. However, many product initiatives, irrespective of having enough data, fail. The truth is, the very data meant to illuminate the path can become a labyrinth of pitfalls if not navigated with caution and a clear strategy. In the journey of moving from "data-driven" to "data-informed," it is imperative that product leaders understand the data pitfalls that might impede their efforts. Here, I will provide four decisive strategies to circumvent the most common blunders and ensure that your data is indeed guiding you toward groundbreaking innovation. 1. Beyond The 'North Star Metric': Embracing A Holistic Data Ecosystem The Pitfall: Many teams are obsessed with the "North Star Metric," fixating on a single KPI to the exclusion of all else. While a North Star can provide focus, an overreliance on one metric often leads to a myopic view. Optimizing for a single metric can also lead to "local maxima"—perfecting an existing solution but missing out on truly disruptive opportunities. The Strategy: Instead of solely chasing a single North Star, cultivate a holistic data ecosystem. • Balance quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data tells you what is happening (e.g., conversion rates, CTRs), but qualitative data tells you why (e.g., usability studies, user feedback). Combining both provides a richer, more nuanced understanding of user needs and pain points. • Track a balanced scorecard of metrics. Beyond the North Star, define a set of complementary metrics (e.g., customer churn, ARR) that cover different aspects of product health and provide a more comprehensive picture. • Contextualize data with market and competitive insights. Your internal product data is only part of the story. Data should be interpreted within a larger context, such as market trends and competitor movements, to inform strategic innovation. 2. Beware The Bias Beast: Actively Combating Cognitive Traps The Pitfall: Human beings are inherently biased, which can affect data collection, analysis and interpretation, leading to misguided product decisions. Some examples of bias that I frequently see teams struggling with are: confirmation bias (seeking data that confirms existing beliefs), survivorship bias (focusing only on successful outcomes) and selection bias (skewed samples). The Strategy: To tame the "bias beast," implement these active combat strategies: • Formulate clear hypotheses (and be ready to disprove them). Before diving into data, define specific, testable hypotheses. This forces you to consider what data would disprove your assumptions, rather than just confirm them. • Diversify your data sources. Relying on a narrow set of data increases the risk of blind spots. Seek out diverse data sources (e.g., surveys, customer support logs, social listening, A/B tests), and foster diverse teams with different perspectives and backgrounds to challenge assumptions. • Prioritize "why" over "what." When analyzing data, constantly ask "why." Why are users behaving this way? Why did this metric change? Don't just report the numbers; dig into the underlying reasons. • Implement structured experimentation (A/B testing with rigor). A/B testing is a powerful tool, but only if done correctly. Ensure proper randomization, sufficient sample sizes and clear control groups to minimize bias and truly understand the causal impact of changes. 3. Turning Data Overload Into Actionable Product Insights: Prioritizing 'Need To Know' The Pitfall: In the quest for data-driven glory, companies often fall into the trap of data hoarding: collecting data without clear objectives or a structured plan for its potential applications. I think this is the main cause of "analysis paralysis," an overload of information that makes it difficult to retrieve valuable insights. The Strategy: Shift from data hoarding to a "need to know" mindset, prioritizing actionable insights. • Define clear objectives first. Prior to data collection, set clearly defined business goals you would like to achieve, along with the questions that need to be answered to accomplish those goals. This will direct your effort in data collection and analysis. • Prioritize data quality over quantity. Wrong, incomplete and inconsistent data is more dangerous than having no data because it can lead to making very bad decisions. Establish policies around data governance, and perform periodic audits on the data to ensure integrity and trustworthiness. • Democratize access (with guardrails) and foster data literacy. Empower product teams to access and analyze data, but provide the necessary training and tools to do so effectively. This includes understanding data definitions, limitations and ethical considerations. Self-service analytics, when properly governed, can accelerate insight generation. 4. Beyond The Numbers: Cultivating Intuition And Storytelling The Pitfall: Some teams become so fixated on data that they lose sight of the bigger picture, neglecting human intuition, creative vision and the ability to tell a compelling story with their findings. This can stifle truly innovative ideas that don't immediately show up in current data. The Strategy: Remember that data is a tool, not a dictator. Enhance its power with the following strategies. • Harness the power of informed intuition. While data is crucial, it doesn't replace the insights gained from years of experience, empathy for users and a deep understanding of the market. Use data to inform and validate your intuition, not to replace it entirely. • Leverage strategic storytelling. Learn to weave compelling narratives around your data, highlighting the problem, the insight, the proposed solution and the expected impact. Visualizations, clear explanations and a focus on the "so what" are key. • Embrace "no data" scenarios with calculated risk. For truly novel innovations, there might be no existing data to guide you. In these cases, lean on expert judgment, strategic partnerships and carefully designed, low-risk experiments (e.g., MVPs, pilot programs) to gather initial feedback and iterate. By proactively identifying and mitigating potential data pitfalls and by diligently implementing these four key strategies, product strategy teams can transition from having a superficial reliance on data to a deep and comprehensive mastery of it. This profound understanding and skillful application of data will empower them to move beyond conventional approaches and unlock their inherent capacity to fuel the creation of truly exceptional products. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
Forbes
34 minutes ago
- Forbes
5 ChatGPT Prompts To Write Emails To Your List That Actually Sell
5 ChatGPT prompts to write emails to your list that actually sell When was the last time you got an email newsletter that was actually good? It's far too rare, and that's an opportunity. Company updates, useless information and mediocre offers are being blasted out to mailing lists every single day. They're wasting everyone's time. While everyone is sending trash communication, yours can stand out. You can start conversations that build trust and drive sales. You can make people think, spark genuine replies, and compel people to take action. It's possible right now. The difference between emails that get deleted and emails that get results comes down to connection. Here's how to maximise yours with ChatGPT. Copy, paste and edit the square brackets in ChatGPT, and keep the same chat window open so the context carries through. Transform your email game with ChatGPT: write messages that actually connect If you were writing an email to one single person, how would you start it? That's the vibe to channel when you're emailing your list. Forget 'hey all' or 'hi everyone.' Write to one person. The solo eyes that are scanning your words. Create a pattern interrupt when they believe for a second that you're only writing to them. Make it conversational from word one. "Help me rewrite this mass email to sound like I'm writing to one specific person. Replace generic greetings with personalized ones using [name]. Create an opening line that speaks directly to their current situation or interests. Add a closing question that invites a real response about their challenges. The tone should be conversational, like I'm messaging a smart friend who I respect. Here's my email: [paste email]" Perfect people are boring and unrelatable. Your list wants to know you're human too. Share one specific mistake you made this week to build trust and teach a lesson. Make it a mistake you know they've made as well. Pick something real that happened, explain what went wrong, then share what you learned. Show you're the person with the way forward for them. Vulnerability creates connection when used in the right way. "I want to share a business mistake in my next email to build trust with my list. Help me craft a 150-word story about [describe a recent mistake or challenge]. Structure it to: 1) Briefly explain what happened, 2) Share what I learned, 3) Connect it to a lesson my audience can apply. Make it feel like I'm confiding in a friend, not lecturing. My audience struggles with [describe their main challenges]." Businesses guess what their customers want and often get it wrong. But your list will tell you exactly what to build next if you just ask. Send an email asking one genuine question about their biggest struggle right now. Then actually read every response. Position yourself in their mind as someone who actually listens. It makes them more likely to listen to you. After that, create the solution they ask for. "Write an email that asks my subscribers one powerful question about their biggest current challenge in [my area of expertise]. Make it clear I'll personally read every response and use their input to shape what I create next. Include 2-3 follow-up questions that dig deeper into their specific situation. End by explaining exactly how their answer will help me serve them better. Keep it under 200 words and genuinely curious in tone." One sharp sprint manning your company inbox is worth its weight in gold. You'll hear about their niggles, understand their requests, and get familiar with how they communicate to others. The rest is easy. You have to solve their problems, empathise with their viewpoints and mirror their language back. Your open rates go up when they believe you really care. Building a personable brand starts with making connections. "Create 5 email reply templates I can customize when responding to subscriber messages. Each should: 1) Acknowledge something specific they mentioned, 2) Add value with a quick tip or resource, 3) Ask a follow-up question to continue the conversation. Make them feel personal, not automated. Include templates for: thanking for feedback, answering a question, responding to a complaint, celebrating their win, and following up on their challenge." Your subscribers are smart people who appreciate straight talk. When you email them, write like you're texting your most successful friend about something exciting you discovered. Drop the formal language and get to the point. Don't patronize, don't over-explain, don't talk down to them in any way. Use short sentences to show respect. Start sentences with "And" or "But" when it feels right. Make people actually want to read your emails instead of archiving them. "Rewrite this email draft to sound like I'm texting my smartest, most successful friend about something exciting I discovered. Strip out all corporate language, jargon, and unnecessary words. Use short sentences. Start sentences with 'And' or 'But' when it feels natural. Make it punchy, valuable, and respectful of their intelligence. Here's my draft: [paste email]. Keep the core message but make every word count." Make every email count by building real relationships Stop treating your email list like a broadcast channel. Start every email with genuine connection and end with an invitation to respond. Share your mistakes and what you learned from them. Ask your subscribers what they need and then actually create it. Reply personally to build relationships that last. Write like you're talking to one smart friend, not presenting to thousands. Turn your mass emails into conversations and watch your business transform. Access all my best ChatGPT content prompts.
Entrepreneur
34 minutes ago
- Entrepreneur
Google, Apple, Meta Passwords Exposed in Massive Hack: Report
"Massive datasets" have been emerging every few weeks, according to a new report. Almost all major platforms were affected by a massive breach, including datasets from Apple, Google, Facebook, Telegram, GitHub, and other platforms (government, too), according to Cybernews. Cybernews reports that 30 databases have been stolen (social media, VPN logins, corporate and developer platforms), exposing 16 billion passwords, calling it "one of the largest data breaches in history." Related: Over 10 Billion Passwords Have Been Exposed in Massive Password Hack The outlet also says that "massive datasets" have been emerging every few weeks, though this is the first reporting of the hack. Cybernews does note that Wired reported in May about a "mysterious database" being exposed with 184 million records — a "trove of breached data" that included logins for Google, Meta, and Apple. But 184 million is a lot less than 16 billion, which the outlet claims is the actual scope of the breach. Tom's Guide is running a live blog about the incident and notes several ways people can protect themselves from scammers, including enabling two-factor authentication (2FA), which makes it much more difficult for hackers to get into your accounts, and using a password manager to help keep your information secure. Related: Think You Can Hack Into Apple Intelligence Servers? Apple Is Paying Up to $1 Million If You Can. Want to know if your email has been exposed? Check out the website, Have I Been Pwned, which will tell you if you've been affected by a data breach (and how many times). Regardless, it's time to change your password.
