AI-Powered Search Engines Are Redefining the Web: The Battle Between Google, Perplexity, and Chat-Based Search
In 2025, how we search the internet is undergoing a seismic shift. Traditional search engines that deliver a list of blue links are giving way to AI-powered, conversational search platforms. From Google’s new Search Generative Experience (SGE) to startups like Perplexity AI and the rise of chat-integrated tools from Microsoft and OpenAI, the competition to define the next era of information discovery is in full swing.
At the heart of this transition is a major question: Will the future of search be queries and links—or conversations and answers?
1. Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE): Reinventing the Homepage
Google, still the world’s most-used search engine, launched SGE (Search Generative Experience) to integrate generative AI responses directly into search results.
Key features:
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AI summaries appear above traditional links
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Users can ask follow-up questions within the same interface
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Shopping, travel, and local results are now powered by LLM-generated overviews
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Context-aware interactions refine results in real time
SGE is now live for most U.S. users, with global rollout expanding through 2025. It’s built atop Google’s Gemini 1.5 model, which excels in long-context understanding.
2. Perplexity AI: The Fast-Rising Disruptor
Perplexity AI, a Silicon Valley startup, has quickly emerged as a fan-favorite among tech-savvy users.
Why it’s gaining traction:
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Clean, citation-first interface
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Direct links to original sources, no SEO manipulation
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Instant summaries with follow-up conversational threads
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Transparent model behavior using open-source LLMs and APIs
Perplexity is particularly popular in academia, journalism, and research fields—where trust in source material is vital.
It recently crossed 10 million monthly users and received investment from NVIDIA, Sequoia, and Jeff Bezos’ fund.
3. Microsoft & OpenAI: Copilot-Integrated Bing Search
Microsoft has fused Bing Search with Copilot, its GPT-powered assistant. Users can:
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Chat within the Edge browser sidebar
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Access visual and document-based answers
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Get web-augmented GPT-4-turbo results blended with citations
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Use multi-modal inputs (images, screenshots, PDFs)
This model is ideal for productivity and cross-platform use, especially among Windows and Office 365 users.
4. Other Notable Contenders
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You.com: Focuses on customizable search + private AI
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Neeva (now absorbed by Snowflake): Pioneered ad-free, privacy-first search
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Brave Search: Offers AI summaries powered by its own independent index
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Andi: A chat-based, Gen Z-friendly interface gaining traction for casual mobile search
5. The UX Shift: From Queries to Conversations
What makes AI search different?
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You ask full questions, not just keywords
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You receive summarized, synthesized answers
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You can ask follow-ups and refine searches like a dialogue
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Results are contextualized, not just ranked by backlinks
This user experience feels closer to talking to a research assistant than browsing a directory.
6. The Challenges Ahead
While powerful, AI search raises concerns:
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Accuracy: Hallucinated facts still occur, especially without citations
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Bias and censorship: AI responses may lean toward specific ideological frameworks
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SEO disruption: Publishers are losing traffic as answers get surfaced without clicks
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Legal risks: Copyrighted content may be rephrased without credit or compensation
7. What’s Next?
Expect to see:
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Deeper personalization using user history (opt-in)
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Multimodal search combining image, voice, and document input
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Verticalized AI search (e.g., legal, medical, technical domains)
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A surge in AI-native content platforms replacing traditional websites
As we move deeper into this AI-native web, the lines between search engine, assistant, and content aggregator are disappearing.
Conclusion
In 2025, search is no longer just about finding links—it’s about getting answers, instantly and intelligently. Whether Google maintains its dominance or challengers like Perplexity and Microsoft continue to disrupt, the one certainty is this:
The way we discover knowledge is being rebuilt from the ground up—by AI.