{"id":634492,"date":"2024-09-06T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-06T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/what-is-an-ai-winter-and-is-one-coming\/"},"modified":"2024-09-06T17:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-09-06T14:00:00","slug":"what-is-an-ai-winter-and-is-one-coming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-an-ai-winter-and-is-one-coming\/","title":{"rendered":"#What is an AI winter and is one coming?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a321a16aeee0\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a321a16aeee0\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-an-ai-winter-and-is-one-coming\/#From_past_AI_winters_to_present_challenges_A_look_at_AIs_evolution_and_its_implications_for_search_marketing_strategies\" >From past AI winters to present challenges: A  look at AI&#8217;s evolution and its implications for search marketing strategies.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-an-ai-winter-and-is-one-coming\/#Brief_history_of_AI_winters_and_the_reasons_each_one_occurred\" >Brief history of AI winters and the reasons each one occurred<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-an-ai-winter-and-is-one-coming\/#Characteristics_and_lessons_learned_from_past_AI_winters\" >Characteristics and lessons learned from past AI winters<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-an-ai-winter-and-is-one-coming\/#Hype_cycle\" >Hype cycle<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-an-ai-winter-and-is-one-coming\/#Technical_barriers\" >Technical barriers<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-an-ai-winter-and-is-one-coming\/#Financial_drought\" >Financial drought<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-an-ai-winter-and-is-one-coming\/#Backlash_and_skepticism\" >Backlash and skepticism<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-an-ai-winter-and-is-one-coming\/#Strategic_retreat\" >Strategic retreat<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-an-ai-winter-and-is-one-coming\/#Are_we_headed_for_an_AI_winter_now\" >Are we headed for an AI winter now?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-an-ai-winter-and-is-one-coming\/#The_future_of_AI_in_search_and_your_role_in_it\" >The future of AI in search and your role in it<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-an-ai-winter-and-is-one-coming\/#Progress_continues\" >Progress continues<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/what-is-an-ai-winter-and-is-one-coming\/#Progress_stalls\" >Progress stalls<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"subhead\" itemprop=\"alternativeHeadline\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"From_past_AI_winters_to_present_challenges_A_look_at_AIs_evolution_and_its_implications_for_search_marketing_strategies\"><\/span>From past AI winters to present challenges: A  look at AI&#8217;s evolution and its implications for search marketing strategies.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"bialty-container\">\nAI winter is a term that describes funding cuts in research and development of artificial intelligence systems.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This usually follows after a period of overhype and under-delivery in the expectations of AI systems capabilities.\u00a0Does this sound like today\u2019s AI?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Over the past few months, we\u2019ve observed several key generative AI systems failing to meet the promise of investors and Silicon Valley executives \u2013 from the recent launch of Open AI\u2019s GPT-4o model to Google\u2019s AI Overviews to Perspective\u2019s plagiarism engine and a ton more.<\/p>\n<p>While such periods are typically temporary, they can impact the industry\u2019s growth.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This article tackles:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#h-brief-history-of-ai-winters-and-the-reasons-each-one-occurred\">A brief history of AI winters and the reasons each one occurred<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#h-characteristics-and-lessons-learned-from-past-ai-winters\">Characteristics and lessons learned from past AI winters<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#h-are-we-headed-for-an-ai-winter-now-nbsp\">Are we headed for an AI winter now<\/a>?<\/li>\n<li><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/h-the-future-of-ai-in-search-and-your-role-in-it\">The future of AI in search and your role in it<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-brief-history-of-ai-winters-and-the-reasons-each-one-occurred\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Brief_history_of_AI_winters_and_the_reasons_each_one_occurred\"><\/span>Brief history of AI winters and the reasons each one occurred<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The field of AI has a rich (albeit quite short) history, marked by periods of intense excitement followed by somewhat of a dis<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ointment. These periods of decline are what we now call AI winters.<\/p>\n<p>The first one occurred in the 1970s. Early AI projects like machine translation and speech recognition failed to meet the ambitious expectations set for them. Funding for AI research dried up, leading to a slowdown in progress.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Several factors contributed to the first AI winter.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In a nutshell, researchers over-promised the capabilities of what AI could achieve in the short term.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Even now, we don\u2019t fully understand human intelligence, making it hard to replicate in AI.<\/p>\n<p>Another key factor was that the computing power available at the time was insufficient to handle the growing demands of the AI field, which inevitably halted progress in the area.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Some progress was observed in the 1980s with the development of expert systems, which successfully solved specific problems in limited domains. This period of excitement lasted until the late 1980s and early 1990s when another AI winter arrived.<\/p>\n<p>This time, the reasons were more closely related to the death of one computing <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> \u2013 the LISP machine, which was replaced by more efficient alternatives.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Simultaneously, expert systems failed to meet expectations when prompted with unexpected inputs, leading to errors and erosion of trust.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>One <span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">key effort in replacing the LISP machines was the\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1992\/06\/05\/business\/fifth-generation-became-japan-s-lost-generation.html\">Japanese Fifth Generation project<\/a><\/span>. <\/p>\n<p>This was a collaboration between the country\u2019s computing industry and government that aimed to revolutionize\u00a0AI operating systems and computing techniques, technologies and hardware. It ultimately failed to meet most of its goals.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Despite research in AI continuing throughout the 1990s, many researchers avoided using the term \u201cAI\u201d to distance themselves from the field\u2019s history of failed promises.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This is quite similar to a trend observed at the moment, with many prominent researchers carefully signifying the specific area of research they are operating in and avoiding using the umbrella term.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>AI interest grew in the early 2000s due to machine learning and computing advances, but practical integration was slow.<\/p>\n<p>Despite this period being referred to as the \u201cAI spring,\u201d the term \u201cAI\u201d itself remained tarnished by past failures and unmet expectations.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Investors and researchers alike shied away from the term, associating it with overhyped and underperforming systems.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As a result, AI was often rebranded under different names, such as machine learning, informatics or cognitive systems. This allowed researchers to distance themselves from the stigma associated with AI and secure funding for their work.<\/p>\n<p>From 2000 to 2020, IBM\u2019s Watson was a prime example of the failed integration of AI, following the company\u2019s promise to revolutionize healthcare and diagnostics.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Despite its success on the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a> show Jeopardy!, the AI super project <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gavi.org\/vaccineswork\/deranged-provocateur-ibms-failed-ai-superproject-controversial-story\">faced significant challenges<\/a> when applied to real-world healthcare.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Oncology Expert Advisor, in collaboration with the MD Anderson Cancer Center, struggled to interpret doctors\u2019 notes and apply research findings to individual patient cases.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A similar project at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center encountered problems due to the use of synthetic data, which introduced bias and failed to account for real-world variations in patient cases and treatment options.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>When Watson was implemented in other parts of the world, its recommendations were often irrelevant or incompatible with local healthcare infrastructures and treatment regimens.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Even in the U.S., it was criticized for providing obvious or impractical advice.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, Watson\u2019s failure in healthcare highlights the challenges of applying AI to complex, real-world problems and the importance of considering context and data limitations.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, several AI-related trends emerged. These niche technologies gained buzz and funding but quickly faded after failing to live up to the hype.<\/p>\n<p>Think of:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Chatbots.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>IoT (internet of things).<\/li>\n<li>Voice-command devices.<\/li>\n<li>Big data.<\/li>\n<li>Blockchain.<\/li>\n<li>Augmented reality.<\/li>\n<li>Autonomous vehicles.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>All of these areas of research and development still have a ton of potential, but investor interest has peaked at separate periods in the past.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1162\" height=\"690\" alt=\"Tech innovations: Interest over time\" class=\"wp-image-446297\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Tech-innovations-Interest-over-time.png.webp 1162w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Tech-innovations-Interest-over-time-569x338.png.webp 569w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Tech-innovations-Interest-over-time-800x475.png.webp 800w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Tech-innovations-Interest-over-time-190x113.png.webp 190w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Tech-innovations-Interest-over-time-768x456.png.webp 768w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1162px) 100vw, 1162px\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Tech-innovations-Interest-over-time.png.webp\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1162\" height=\"690\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Tech-innovations-Interest-over-time.png.webp\" alt=\"Tech innovations: Interest over time\" class=\"wp-image-446297\" srcset=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Tech-innovations-Interest-over-time.png.webp 1162w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Tech-innovations-Interest-over-time-569x338.png.webp 569w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Tech-innovations-Interest-over-time-800x475.png.webp 800w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Tech-innovations-Interest-over-time-190x113.png.webp 190w,https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/Tech-innovations-Interest-over-time-768x456.png.webp 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1162px) 100vw, 1162px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Source: Google Trends<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Overall, the history of AI is a cautionary tale of the dangers of hype and unrealistic expectations, despite also demonstrating the resilience and progress of the industry\u2019s mission. Despite the setbacks, AI technologies have evolved.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>No, AI won\u2019t change your marketing job: A contrarian perspective<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-characteristics-and-lessons-learned-from-past-ai-winters\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Characteristics_and_lessons_learned_from_past_AI_winters\"><\/span>Characteristics and lessons learned from past AI winters<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Generative AI is the most recent iteration in the cycle of AI breakthrough, hype, investment and multi-faceted technology integration in many areas of life and business.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s track whether it is currently headed toward an AI winter. But before that, allow me to briefly recap the lessons learned from each past AI winter.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Each AI winter shares the following key milestones:\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-hype-cycle\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Hype_cycle\"><\/span>Hype cycle<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>AI winters often follow periods of intense hype and inflated expectations.<\/li>\n<li>The gap between these unrealistic expectations and the actual capabilities of AI technology leads to disappointment and disillusionment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-technical-barriers\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Technical_barriers\"><\/span>Technical barriers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>AI winters frequently coincide with technical limitations.<\/li>\n<li>Whether it\u2019s a lack of computational power, algorithmic challenges or insufficient data, these barriers can significantly impede progress.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-financial-drought\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Financial_drought\"><\/span>Financial drought<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>As enthusiasm for AI wanes, funding for research and development dries up.<\/li>\n<li>This lack of investment can further stifle innovation and exacerbate the slowdown.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-backlash-and-skepticism\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Backlash_and_skepticism\"><\/span>Backlash and skepticism<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>AI winters often witness a surge in criticism and skepticism from both the scientific community and the public.<\/li>\n<li>This negative sentiment can further dampen the mood and make it difficult to secure funding or support.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-strategic-retreat\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Strategic_retreat\"><\/span>Strategic retreat<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>In response to these challenges, AI researchers often shift their focus to more manageable, less ambitious projects.<\/li>\n<li>This can involve rebranding their work or focusing on specific applications to avoid the negative connotations associated with AI.<\/li>\n<li>Then a niche breakthrough occurs, starting the cycle all over again.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>AI winters aren\u2019t just a temporary setback; they can really hurt progress.<\/p>\n<p>Funding dries up, projects get abandoned and talented people leave the field. This means we miss out on potentially life-changing technologies.<\/p>\n<p>Plus, AI winters can make people suspicious of AI, making it harder for even good AI to be accepted.<\/p>\n<p>Since AI is becoming increasingly integrated into our countries\u2019 economies, our lives and many businesses, a downturn hurts everyone.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s like hitting the brakes just as we start making progress toward achieving some of the world\u2019s biggest tech-related goals like AGI (artificial <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a> intelligence).<\/p>\n<p>These cycles also discourage long-term research, leading to a focus on short-term gains.<\/p>\n<p>Despite stalling progress, AI winters offer valuable learning experiences. They remind us to be realistic about AI\u2019s capabilities, focus on foundational research and ensure diverse funding sources.<\/p>\n<p>Collaboration across different sectors is key, as is transparent communication about AI\u2019s potential and limitations \u2013 especially to investors and the public.<\/p>\n<p>By embracing these lessons, we can create a sustainable and impactful future for AI that truly benefits society.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s address the big question \u2013 are we currently headed toward an AI winter?<\/p>\n<p><!-- START INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<p><!-- END INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color has-css-opacity has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-background\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-are-we-headed-for-an-ai-winter-now-nbsp\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_we_headed_for_an_AI_winter_now\"><\/span>Are we headed for an AI winter now?\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>It appears that progress in AI has slowed down a bit after an explosive 2023, both with regard to new technologies released, updates to existing models and hype around generative AI.<\/p>\n<p>People like <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/garymarcus.substack.com\/p\/the-great-ai-retrenchment-has-begun\">Gary Marcus<\/a> believe that the big leaps forward in AI model performance are becoming less frequent.<\/p>\n<p>The lack of breakthroughs in generative AI and new model developments from the leaders in the space suggests a potential slowdown in progress.<\/p>\n<p>Judging by investor calls, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2024-05-14\/artificial-intelligence-buzz-has-faded-on-company-earnings-calls?embedded-checkout=true\">mentions of AI have also decreased<\/a>, leading more to believe that the productivity gains that generative AI promised would not manifest more than what has already been achieved.<\/p>\n<p>Admittedly, it isn\u2019t much. The ROI isn\u2019t great. Many companies <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/24075086\/ai-investment-hype-earnings\">struggle to find the productivity returns<\/a> expected from their AI investments.<\/p>\n<p>The rapid advancements and excitement around tools like ChatGPT have inflated expectations about their capabilities and potential impact.<\/p>\n<p>Something previously apparent to only a small fraction of the population, mostly AI researchers, is now becoming general knowledge \u2013 large language models (LLMs).<\/p>\n<p>These models face major limitations, including hallucinations and a lack of true understanding, which reduces their practical impact.<\/p>\n<p>People are realizing that these technologies, when misused, are already harming the web. AI-generated content has spread across the web, from <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social media<\/a> comments to posts, blogs, videos and podcasts.<\/p>\n<p>Authentic human-generated content is becoming scarce. <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/ai-generated-data-can-poison-future-ai-models\/\">Future AI models<\/a> will inevitably be trained on synthetic content, making it impossible to avoid and leading to worse performance over time.<\/p>\n<p>We haven\u2019t even addressed the ease of hacking generative AI, ethical issues in sourcing training data, challenges in protecting user data and many other problems that tech companies often overlook in AI discussions.<\/p>\n<p>Still, some signs point against an impending AI winter in the short term. <\/p>\n<p>AI technology continues to evolve rapidly, with open-source models rapidly catching up to closed models and innovative applications like AI agents emerging.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, AI is being integrated into various industries and applications, often seamlessly (sometimes not \u2013 looking at you, AI Overviews), demonstrating at least some practical value.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s unclear whether these implementations will meet the tests of time.<\/p>\n<p>Ongoing investment in companies like Perplexity shows investors\u2019 confidence in AI\u2019s potential for search, despite <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2024\/6\/27\/24187405\/perplexity-ai-twitter-lie-plagiarism\">skeptics debunking some of the company\u2019s claims<\/a> and questioning its tactics around intellectual property.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>Google AI Overviews are an evolution, not a revolution<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-future-of-ai-in-search-and-your-role-in-it\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_future_of_AI_in_search_and_your_role_in_it\"><\/span>The future of AI in search and your role in it<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>AI is undoubtedly here to stay. My fellow automation enthusiasts and I are thrilled that everyone is now excited about this technology and exploring it themselves.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s important not to let the current excitement raise your expectations too high. The technology still has limits and a long way to go before reaching its full potential.<\/p>\n<p>Beware of tech bros and CEOs promising uncanny ROI or sharing their doomsday predictions of the day (always so, so soon) where there will be AGI and you will be replaced by AI.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While automation is revolutionizing the workforce, change is gradual.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Progress is being made toward AGI, but reputable AI researchers believe this reality will not come in the immediate future. Numerous obstacles must still be overcome to achieve this.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Understanding any emerging technologies (especially those so widely discussed as AI is at the moment) and how they work is crucial to creating strategies that stand the test of time.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>What we might see happening (in search, in particular) is one of two scenarios.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-progress-continues\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Progress_continues\"><\/span>Progress continues<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Implementations stand the test of time, and models improve.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For search marketers, this might mean more AI-generated content to outcompete but also improved search systems and AI-detection algorithms, easing this task by amplifying human-written, authentic voices.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Investors win. Big tech wins. Everyone wins.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>That is if we solve the challenges related to ethics, security, IP and resource use. But I digress.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-progress-stalls\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Progress_stalls\"><\/span>Progress stalls<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Systems become worse. Think:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>No improvement in Google AI Overviews.<\/li>\n<li>Even more spam in web results.<\/li>\n<li>Misinformation.<\/li>\n<li>Entirely poisoned social media feeds, online forums and other digital spaces.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In this scenario, big tech will start bleeding money rapidly. (Some evidence suggests this trend has already begun.)\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>AI systems are, at the end of the day, expensive to develop, maintain and improve.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Failing to do so, however, will tarnish investor trust and they will eventually bow down to scaling back implementations in the area.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The public failure of several of these technologies to meet expectations will lead to the widespread loss of trust in the potential of generative AI.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In both scenarios, the brand, the authenticity of the company and its people and the approach to consumer relationships will become even more important.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The second scenario will also amplify the consumer desire for authentic non-digital experiences.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>My advice to search marketers is to stay aware of the risks of AI and learn how different models work. What are their benefits and limitations? What tasks do they handle well or poorly?<\/p>\n<p>Experiment with tools to boost your productivity. Many models aren\u2019t yet ready for full marketing use, and treating them as such can worsen the issues mentioned in this article.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Dig deeper: How AI will affect the future of search<\/em><\/strong>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"about-author\">\n    About the author<\/p>\n<div class=\"information\">\n<div class=\"author-module\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-3 text-center\">\n<div class=\"avatar\">\n                        <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-fluid rounded-circle avatar-border\" alt=\"Lazarina Stoy\" width=\"140\" height=\"140\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/01\/Lazarina-Stoy.png.webp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-fluid rounded-circle avatar-border\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/01\/Lazarina-Stoy.png.webp\" alt=\"Lazarina Stoy\" width=\"140\" height=\"140\">\n                                            <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-9\">\n<div class=\"about\">\n<div class=\"name\">\n                            <strong>Lazarina Stoy<\/strong>\n                        <\/div>\n<div class=\"row g-2 pt-2\">\n<div class=\"col-auto twitter\">\n                                    <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/follow?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fsearchengineland.com%2F&amp;region=follow_link&amp;screen_name=lazarinastoy&amp;tw_p=followbutton&amp;variant=2.0\" aria-label=\"opens in a new tab\"><i class=\"fab fa-x-twitter\"><\/i><\/a>\n                            <\/div>\n<div class=\"col-auto\">\n                                    <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/lazarinastoy\/\" aria-label=\"opens in a new tab\"><i class=\"fab fa-linkedin\"><\/i><\/a>\n                                <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>                        <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/lazarinastoy.com\/\">Lazarina Stoy<\/a> is a Consultant in Organic Marketing, specializing in SEO and data <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">science<\/a>. She has worked with countless B2B, SaaS, and big tech teams to improve their organic positioning. As an advocate of machine-learning-enabled automation, Lazarina speaks on podcasts, webinars, and at conferences and creates helpful resources for fellow SEOs to kick off their data science journey.\u00a0                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology<\/a><\/span> category.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/ai-winter-is-coming-446295\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From past AI winters to present challenges: A look at AI&#8217;s evolution and its implications for search marketing strategies. AI winter is a term that describes funding cuts in research and development of artificial intelligence systems.\u00a0 This usually follows after a period of overhype and under-delivery in the expectations of AI systems capabilities.\u00a0Does this sound&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":634493,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/09\/What-is-an-AI-winter-and-are-we-headed-toward-one-800x450.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[149397,78070],"class_list":["post-634492","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-artificial-intelligence-optimization-aio","tag-seo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/634492","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=634492"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/634492\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/634493"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=634492"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=634492"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=634492"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}