Concerned about the capabilities of AI (Artificial Intelligence) in search?
While the often-impressive abilities of AI tools like Grok, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity may seem like magic, it’s important to remember they’re not.
Join us in separating fact from fiction as we dispel some of the most common AI myths!
Top 10 myths about AI
1. ChatGPT gets its data from private databases
Believe it or not, it’s Bing! That’s right, ChatGPT heavily relies on Bing (and not Google) to access real-time information, search the web, and provide users with up-to-date answers to their queries.
2. AI can uncover information that’s not publicly available online
No, it can’t. While AI search tools can infer based on data sets, they can’t find data that isn’t already available online and it certainly isn’t the font of all knowledge.
They may be able to uncover certain information faster than a human, but a human could still find the same information – if they had enough time.
3. AI can’t get past paywalls
Not true at all – AI chatbots, like ChatGPT and Perplexity, are actually helping people to get past paywalls now, allowing them to access the content without clicking through to the protected source.
4. AI can’t understand non-text content
Whether you like to create images, charts, diagrams, or videos, AI tools won’t miss them. AI can analyse patterns and context to understand and pull data from non-text content.
5. AI search is always accurate
Don’t believe everything you read – especially AI responses! Unfortunately, AI models can “hallucinate” information (which means they fabricate facts and cite non-existent sources), so you should always verify any claims they make.
6. AI search is always unbiased
While it’s always nice to have reassurance, AI tools tend to be a bit too agreeable!
This is known as AI sycophancy and essentially means they prioritise agreeing with or flattering users rather than accuracy or objectivity.
7. AI search will take over traditional search
Convinced that traditional search using engines like Google is over? Don’t be so sure. AI tools rely on the very same web data that SEO aims to optimise. In short, if you’re not investing in SEO, you’re not being picked up by AI tools either.
8. AI tools “think” just like humans do
AI tools are great at mimicking the language we use, engaging in processes that resemble critical-thinking, and even making inferences from data they’ve gathered. However, just because they sound like us, that doesn’t mean they think like us.
They don’t possess the necessary human experience, insight, or ethics and moral reasoning as a human brain. Instead, they simply predict which words should come next based on their training data.
9. AI tools magically infer user intentions
No, it’s not magic – it’s just behavioural data analytics. AI tools are great at predicting what a user wants by paying close attention to their inputs, past behaviour, and any other data patterns they can get their figurative hands on.
10. AI tools have genuine opinions and emotions
Just like they can’t “think” like humans do, AI tools can’t develop the same opinions or experience the same emotions either.
Don’t be fooled by the conversational, human-like output. If an AI response sounds emotional (be it sad, happy, excited, or even empathetic!), it’s only mirroring these feelings, not really experiencing it.
Looking for expert help with understanding AI search?
At Aqueous Digital, we stay up to date with all the latest changes in search, so you don’t have to.
Whether that’s changes from Google’s recent December 2025 core update or assessing the impact of AI on your website’s online visibility, we’ll work with you to react to whatever comes next in the eve-evolving search landscape.
To find out more about how we can help or to arrange your free, no-obligation consultation for your site, why not get in touch with our knowledgeable team today?
Simply give us a call on 0800 285 1424 or email your enquiry to hello@aqueous-digital.co.uk.
