AI is hugely important for a search engine as it helps yield faster and more accurate results. A team of researcher led by Yong Shi, Feng Liu, and Ying Liu created an AI IQ test that put Bing Search and Google Search (and other engines) through their paces. The results found that Google’s artificial intelligence is smartest, arguably justifying the company’s significant search lead. Google scored 47.28 in the test. Yes, this is a real imitation of IQ, so while Google is smart, it is not human smart. For example, an 18-year-old person would average 96, while a six-year-old is 55.5. So, Google Search is about as smart as a five-year-old. Sure, that looks unimpressive, but it is plenty to ensure users get accurate search results in a zippy fashion. As for rival engines, Bing came third with 31.98, trailing Baidu with 32.92. Apple’s Siri scored 23.9, although it is not a dedicated search product. It is worth noting that the team has carried out this study before, and finds that search engines are becoming more intelligent at a rapid pace. In 2014, Google’s AI scored 26.5. This shows the company has worked hard to improve, but also that technology is advancing quickly and closing the gap between AI and human intelligence.
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While this is interesting data, does it actually mean anything for the casual user? Well, yes and no is the answer. There is certainly a reason why most people use Google, and it is not just about familiarity. Google has been in the search game much longer than Microsoft and has built a solid infrastructure. Most would probably agree that search results from Google are more accurate than on Bing. Speed is less of a problem, even if Google is faster (it’s not always), both it and Bing are so fast to go beyond human perception.
