From 66 billion dollars revenue in 2014 to 0?

After last session, I wanted to write about the future of Search. Google revenue last year reached 66 billion US dollars and its advertising revenue is still growing in double-digit (11% YoY change from Q2 2014 to Q2 2015).
However, what if the era of Google was coming to an end?
Indeed, we all know SIRI, as an intelligent virtual personal assistant and knowledge navigator. SIRI uses a natural language user interface to answer questions, make recommendations and perform actions. So far, what is the link with the end of Google current revenue model you would tell me? Well, what most people don't know, is how it works. SIRI delegates requests to a set of Web services. The software then adapts to the user's individual language usage and individual searches (preferences) with continuing use, and returns that are individualized.
What does it mean? It means that how Google would make advertisers pay if no human being has to make a search and would therefore click on an ad?
Well, you could also argue that SIRI is very basic, its limitations are more than apparent and does not work and that the future I envisage is Azimov's science fiction. Let's not be that sure. Many startups around the world actually work on the next version of SIRI. One of the most promising AI under the radar is called Viv. Developed by SIRI's inventors, Viv is THE new AI. It is able to learn from the world to improve upon its capabilities. A funny example is when you ask Viv "What's the status of JetBlue 133?". A second later, Viv returns with an answer: "Late again, what else is new?". To achieve this simple this result, Viv went to an airline database called FlightStats.com and got the estimated arrival time and records that show JetBlue 133 is on time just 62% of the time".
To learn more from Viv's CEO and its vision how Viv could impact advertising, see the sources.

Sources:
http://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/a34630/viv-artificial-intelligence-0515/
http://www.wired.com/2014/08/viv/
http://techcrunch.com/2015/02/20/viv-built-by-siris-creators-scores-12-5-million-for-an-ai-technology-that-can-teach-itself/#.bvc2oi:37fs
http://techcrunch.com/2015/03/06/the-future-of-voice-activated-ai-sounds-awesome/
https://investor.google.com/earnings/2015/Q2_google_earnings.html
http://www.statista.com/statistics/266206/googles-annual-global-revenue/

Artificial Intelligence personal assistant – will it topple the traditional search engine?

    Over the past decade, Google has been dominating the online search domain. With the continual efforts to optimize its website and to improve its algorithm architectures, Google was able to provide users with customized results taken into account of their locations and personal traits. Nevertheless, despite its improvement through the past years, Google still relies heavily on popularity algorithms that often incapacitate differentiation on an individual level. 

    In order to provide consumers with a more comprehensive and dynamic search experience, a slew of companies is developing personalized digital assistants that referenced users’ profile and behavior to deliver more relevant information. Facebook has been testing an Artificial Intelligence-powered personal assistant called M that could link between user’s intent and the transaction where the intent would be fulfilled. Having logged in Messenger, users would be able to type in the message box with specific questions such as “What kinds of A-line dresses available in local stores will be most suitable for the upcoming graduation party?”. The platform would leverage its data on users’ demographics and psychographics, as well as its social network to bring forth the answer that would most likely to appeal to the user. 

    Baidu also unveiled the digital assistant Duer on the 8^th of September that would integrate into the Baidu search app for Android. According to the spokesperson at Baidu, Duer would be able to handle tasks such as food delivery and car rentals via voice commands. It would also provide information on questions such as “which restaurant near me has the best Tuna Roll” by combing through rating websites with users’ location and past preferences in mind. Duer also allows users to control domestic home appliances via smartphone, and to connect with users’ healthcare service providers to provide direct wellness advice based on their heart rates measured by the application. Google has also been developing a similar platform – Google Now that has been implemented as an aspect of the Google Search application. By recognizing users’ repeated actions on the device, Google Now is able to assemble more detailed search and provide information in a clean and intuitive manner.

    These digital assistants equipped with the ability to perform human-like reasoning and problem-solving, would provide better analysis of digital content and thereby substituting Google’s role of being the bridge between users and the solutions. Besides individual users, retailers could also utilize the technology by offering virtual sales assistant that would recommend on products and services based on customer information extracted from the CRM system.

Article Link:

http://techcrunch.com/2015/09/07/facebooks-messenger-and-the-challenge-to-googles-search-dominance/