Can AI Really Replace Search Engines?

These days, I often come across headlines claiming that artificial intelligence will soon replace search engines. People used to rely on platforms like Naver or Google whenever they had a question, but now many are turning to tools like GPT or Gemini instead. I personally use Naver when I’m looking for Korean resources, Google for English materials, and GPT when I need to quickly extract credible information. The more I use them, the more I notice clear differences between traditional search engines and AI.

This brings up an important question: Can AI truly replace search engines?

In the past, we searched for information ourselves — deciding what to read, compare, and believe. Now, AI does the searching for us, and we simply receive whatever it delivers. There’s a big difference between actively seeking information and passively accepting it. The ability to choose what we read and trust will become one of the most important issues in the information era.

To see how this plays out in practice, I ran a simple test. I searched the term “shrinkflation” on both Naver and Google. Naver is South Korea’s largest search engine, while Google dominates the global market. Both platforms have integrated AI into their systems, but they approach it very differently.

When I searched “shrinkflation” on Naver, the first thing that appeared was a collection of reference links displayed as image thumbnails. The titles are written in white text, which makes them a bit hard to read, but the layout clearly focuses on visual engagement. Below that, Naver provides a structured explanation of the term — including its definition, origin, and causes — all neatly organized under subtopics. What’s particularly interesting is that Naver’s AI tends to frame the issue through the perspectives of different groups, such as the government, consumers, and businesses. This reflects how Korean-style AI often emphasizes relationships and social context.

Google, on the other hand, takes a more logical and spatial approach. It divides the screen into two partitions: one side for summaries and explanations, and the other for source links and news articles. Users can decide whether to read the overview first or check the sources before diving in. Google’s layout is less visual and more analytical. It presents the meaning, examples, and both the positive and negative aspects of “shrinkflation” in a concise, fact-based way. This aligns with Google’s original philosophy — to give users the most accurate answer possible.

Then I tried searching for “shrinkflation” using ChatGPT. Unlike search engines, GPT doesn’t just list websites. It immediately provides a synthesized summary based on academic papers or credible institutions. At first, it feels incredibly efficient. But here’s where things get different. Asking AI for information is more like asking a person directly — the answer depends entirely on what that “person” knows. That means feedback and verification are essential.

The real issue is that many people take AI-generated answers at face value. Experts can usually spot inaccuracies right away, but most users can’t. They tend to believe whatever they’re told, and that’s dangerous. There have even been real-world cases where misinformation from AI tools led to serious harm. That’s why I believe AI can’t completely replace search engines. The responsibility for verifying information still belongs to humans.

Ultimately, we need to decide how far we want to let AI go. That’s the essence of AI ethics. For students or young learners, it’s especially important — they’re still developing knowledge and critical thinking, so passively accepting whatever AI provides could be harmful. A “receive-and-repeat” learning model weakens creativity and self-directed thought.

Experts are already experimenting with AI to define healthy boundaries, and search engines are also evolving to fit the AI era. Even as AI grows more advanced, search engines must remain the backbone of information verification. I’m curious to see how both will continue to evolve together.

What do you think? Do you believe AI will eventually replace traditional search engines? Share your thoughts in the comments!