#Grumpy Designer

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AI in Search? The Grumpy Designer Isn't Impressed So Far – Speckyboy

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/ai-in-search-the-grumpy-designer-isnt-impressed-so-far-speckyboy/

AI in Search? The Grumpy Designer Isn't Impressed So Far – Speckyboy

Tech companies are baking AI into everything these days. It seems like you can’t avoid a heaping helping of bots and large language models (LLMs). I think I ingested some in my breakfast cereal this morning.

Thus, it’s no surprise that search engines have become best pals with AI. Google and Bing are joyfully adding it to their results. These generated answers are the first thing you see for some queries.

Both companies have a stake in the technology. Google’s Gemini and Microsoft’s Copilot will be keys to their future success. We’ll continue to see these tools added to flagship products.

The early results have been interesting – and perhaps a bit unsettling. For example, AI has recommended that we put glue on pizza. It has also displayed plagiarized content above the original works.

It’s just a reminder that no technology is perfect. And AI is still in its infancy. But there’s more to it. The relationship between AI and search represents a fundamental shift. I’m not so sure I like it. Here’s a look at why.

The Shift to Becoming an Answer Engine

The way search engines work has evolved. In the early days, it was all about matching the keywords used in a query.

That’s why keyword-stuffing and other nefarious SEO techniques worked. Search engines were looking for exact (or fuzzy) matches of keywords. It led to less-than-ideal results. Spammers were great at gaming this system.

Modern search now considers context. It combines content and structured data to determine results. That’s why we can search for “pizza shops near me” and get local results.

As always, these services pick winners. The top results favor sites that match the search engine’s indexing criteria and algorithm. The algorithms are mysterious to us mortals – but fair enough.

So, how does the current use of AI impact this process? For one, it attempts to provide us with a definitive answer.

Let’s forget about accuracy for a moment. Displaying this information first lends confidence to the answer. If it’s first, it must be right – right? Maybe we can skip all the results down the page.

We are no longer encouraged to look for the result that fits our needs. We are instead fed an answer – potentially discouraging us from digging deeper.

The Cost of AI-generated Answers

Perhaps the convenience of an AI-generated answer is favorable. But it also comes with some costs.

Website owners could see a drop in traffic. They already had to contend with sponsors clogging up the top portion of the results page. AI answers are just one more thing to hamper their visibility.

The other elephant in the room is that AI scrapes content from all over the web. The benefits for site owners are questionable at best.

A site that feeds the top result could see some extra clicks. Newfangled services like Perplexity are even offering to pay publishers. However, you might have better odds of winning the lottery than securing this arrangement.

We should also dive back into AI’s potential to discourage further research. Some users may accept that first answer and not bother to think twice.

Maybe this doesn’t impact longtime users. I’m used to scrolling through search results and clicking multiple links. I don’t foresee AI changing my behavior.

But what about younger generations? AI will be just the way things work for them. They may not realize that there’s more information available. After all, Google has already given them the “best” answer.

Here’s where accuracy comes into the picture. There are times when search engines will get it wrong. That seems like an unavoidable situation.

Users who aren’t familiar with researching answers will be misinformed. That could be dangerous, depending on the subject.

Most people won’t put glue on their pizza. But this type of “advice” could be taken seriously by someone. And that has real consequences.

Is This the End of Search as We Knew It?

I believe the relationship between search and AI is a long-term one. Companies like Google and Microsoft aren’t spending truckloads of money for nothing. Well, sometimes they do. But I digress.

The current phase is an experimental one. Search providers are trying to figure out where AI fits in. And, oh yeah, they want to monetize it.

There’s been some backlash at the technology’s integration so far. That has led to adjustments. It’s a matter of finding what users will and won’t tolerate.

Regardless, searching the web is going to look quite different. Sponsored and AI-generated results will continue to push organic results down the page. Large websites will rank higher than small ones.

Search is a pay-to-play proposition these days. AI is only going to amplify this practice.

That changes how we search as consumers. We may need to scroll past a lot of nonsense to find what we came for.

It might also change our expectations as website owners. That free traffic we’ve optimized for may not be as plentiful. We’ll have to adjust accordingly.

What Will the Future Bring?

Search is another area where web designers and marketers will feel the impact of the move toward AI. The techniques that previously performed well for us may be obsolete.

SEO will still be a worthwhile endeavor, though. Getting your websites indexed shouldn’t go out of style anytime soon.

However, using SEO as a primary marketing strategy doesn’t seem sustainable. Unless your clients are large or in a unique niche, you may struggle to make headway without paid promotion.

Such is life on the web. We can never get too comfortable! Search engines are just another in a long line of seismic shifts.

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[corviiids]

to this day i can't get over how stupid it was to remove the headphone jack from phones. now if you want to use wired headphones you have to use the charging port. and then they made a stupid little external adapter you have to plug in that sticks out of your phone and advertise it as Hey now you can listen to music AND charge your phone at the same time! what an innovation! if only we could have done that before! the thing i want most from these increasingly sleek and efficient shapes and designs is to have a bunch of external bullshit sticking out of it to make it as clunky as possible! next they will remove the call function from your phone entirely and in order to make phone calls you will need to attach it by a twirly cable to an external keypad that plugs into the wall, and to enhance the speaker/microphone you'll be able to set your nice neat rectangle into a banana shaped device that sits nicely against your ear and mouth. and that's what we call innovation

[igotthis-egg]

They invented grumpy x sunshine

[sharkylass]

SPOILERS: Two Hats / Act 6 Encounter | [MASTERPOST] ---------------------------------------

This is REALLY early in Roboro joining the family. Like- A few days type of early.

I think they did this because they hated the insinuation that they were being ingenuine. That they're somehow lying about who they are, what they've been through- That they're lying about who they've become and somehow presenting a fake version of themselves, when in reality, this is some of the most genuine they've ever been.

Roboro remembers how to play their part well. Being silly, loud, abrasive- They practiced being that person for years, decades even, looking at a mirror. Learned what parts to keep loose, relaxed, how to express without a hint of hesitation, how to instill confidence in others.

They remember how to do it, but it no longer reflects who they are.

In contrast- I do think it's still a part of Isabeau, the loud, the silly, the joyous, I still think he's capable of it and feels comfortable in it.

It's kind of what upsets him about Roboro's little performance here? Insinuating that his loud and positive demeanor is somehow fake- Sure, he had to build it up himself- But it was still him! Just because it took active effort to get there, doesn't make it more fake or anything!

So Roboro showing his family just how much active effort went into it is- embarrassing! Now his family is going to think that he's somehow faking everything, and sure, he needs to let loose with some stuff- but it's not all for show!

And so Roboro, in trying to show that they are genuine, ended up implying that Isabeau is not.

[eggdrawsthings]

new OCs for portfolio

[thaltro]

We never post rants really but like

We are working on human designs versions of utmv characters and we always hit a roadblock when it comes to dream. Not because he’s hard to design but finding any pre existing references for designs is frustrating. The design itself is bland, he just looks like a generic anime boy - but our main issue is how people pose him as some weak frail smol bean. Grrrr I know it’s canon but goddamit it gets on our nerves. We don’t like how people characterize dream and how dream was written and how he’s drawn aandd asggrgrgffg- he has potential as a character but the infantilization is crazy.

But yeah- wip in designing him

[ladyziggy11]

Finished my human Harley Sawyer design~ Enjoy <3

[silentstar]

The fortnite-ification of video games is devastating everything has to appeal to gen z teenage boys now with bland, vaguely cyberpunk designs that can make it into an SFM porn compilation. Vault hunters used to be grungy, appealingly designed freaks, and now they're just an ensemble of slightly different shaped reject hero shooter characters wearing baggy clothes with a DreamWorks smirk

They've now fully taken away the one unique thing about the borderlands visual design, the thick lines and sci-fi western aesthetic. One of them is literally just a guy wearing two jackets and a nose ring, every single one has random chunks of plastic looking armour attached to parts of their bodies for no discernible purpose. There isn't even a nonhuman vault hunter this time, you can't just add one (1) extra large buff guy every time you run out of ideas and call it a day for character variation.

[ferahntics]

Wanted to show off Alé and her dynamic with Doey a little more. She's a sass machine, fluent in sarcasm and crank. Her comments tend to be very curt and she is a hard nut to crack or to warm up to.

She is very reckless in her behavior, much to Doey's panic, frequently scuffling with Yarnaby and has returned to Safe Haven badly injured on many occassions, but is too stubborn to change her approach.

On the note of being stubborn, she's also keen on Doey's behavior and will push the guy to sit down and relax. If she could sit on him to keep him in place, she would. She knows he's stressed to hell and back with all the responsibilities he's put on himself and tries to ground him one way or another.

Though she can be rough around the edges, Alé is far from cruel. The other toys were very scared of her starting off, but as they've come to realize she's mostly bark and no bite (only in their case), they have since warmed up to her. She has as well, but would rather die than say it out loud.

Her and Doey tend to shift who resides in Safe Haven and who's outside. Most of the time, Alé is the one patroling the area, but when Doey has to look for something, he leaves the area to her... much to her annoyance.

In short, she's a gruff and snarky toy who is easily annoyed, but cares very deeply for those that get close to her, even if she doesn't say it outloud.

[panklup]

Why are they so mad

[verrixstudios]

Quick question about the characters u posted!!

Is Finch's wing an injury, or wasnit like that at birth? (Curious bc I have an oc with a congenital wing deformity and I like knowing if I have the same/similar ideas to other people JEJCNEHSJF)

I am bustling with excitement that people are asking me about them

Anyway anyway I was reading book number jade mountain and I remembered a certain Skywing’s injury from a Sandwings tail. I looked up art of the grump and strangely everything I saw with him had just a simple scratch scar and I was really curious cause I’d imagine Sandwing barbs would do something unique at least. I took inspo from the drago viper bite description, except if you toned it down a bajillion times. If one of those barbs could be used to slice instead of just stab, it made me wonder what it would do to a wing membrane since it’s so thin and the poison could eat away and stop it from being able to heal back easily. (Not to mention a Sandwing strategist would obviously go for a skywing’s wings.) Thus my idea for Finch became a thing. He’s become rather great at climbing to make up for the inability to fly.

[inumbrapugnabimus-maybe]

The sillies…

[lyretheinstrument]

ratchet design finally up !!!! next batch of designs coming soon trust

[eggdrawsthings]

local dad confused by holonet memes

[redrumrose]

We have high hopes for assistant number 9 ^^

[every-moment-a-different-sound]

Edwin and Charles sheet ghost embroidery patterns

@deadboyween day 11- Halloween

If anyone wants to have a go at these patterns, you can download the PDFs here 💜