The Rise of AI-powered Search Engines: Implications for Online Search Behavior and Search Advertising

Abstract

The emergence of AI-powered search engines (AIPSEs) present enormous opportunities and challenges for the future of research on search engine behavior and advertising alike. To address these opportunities and challenges, a multimethod study (survey and online observation) was conducted examining relationships surrounding perceptions of different technological affordances offered by AIPSEs and traditional search engines (TSEs), motivations for using each type of SE, behavioral intentions to use each in the future, and actual use behavior. Survey results show that participants perceive the technological affordances of AIPSEs and TSEs to be distinct in several facets, finding AIPSEs to be more cool, social, and responsive while finding that TSEs provide more variety and are easier to navigate. Online search observation results showed heavier reliance on TSEs than AIPSEs, more elaborative keyword use on AIPSEs, and heightened use of AIPSEs in advice-seeking circumstances, among other findings. These results offer both theoretical and practical implications.