From keywords to conversation with AI
Not only the place where we look for answers is changing, but also the very principle of search – instead of a list of links, we increasingly expect to get a specific and situation-adapted answer right away.
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Traditional internet search has long operated according to a clear logic: the user enters a few keywords, the search engine provides a list of links, and the user has to find the needed answer themselves.
Generative AI shortens this sequence – tools operating on a conversational principle allow formulating the question in natural language, immediately receiving summarized information, and refining it with further questions.
According to Eglė Tamelytė, Communications Manager at Samsung Electronics Baltics in Lithuania, the most important change is not just the emergence of new AI tools, but also the changed expectations of users.
“People no longer want to think about which keywords to enter or through which app to perform a specific action. They expect to show, ask, and get an answer as quickly as possible. Therefore, the greatest value of AI is revealed not in the quantity of functions, but in the ability to make everyday actions faster and more intuitive,” says E. Tamelytė.
According to her, the growing relevance of such solutions is also evidenced by users’ interest in the latest generation of smartphones.
“User reaction to the new generation of phones shows that these changes matter to them. The number of pre-orders for the Galaxy Fold8 and Galaxy Fold8 Ultra in Europe has increased by about 70% compared to last year’s Galaxy Fold7. This shows that people care not only about technical specifications – AI-based functions and solutions that make everyday phone use simply easier are becoming increasingly important,” says E. Tamelytė.
Search moves to where we already are
The platforms where we look for information are also changing. One of the most striking examples is TikTok. According to the platform’s data, billions of searches are performed there daily, and their number has grown by more than 40% over the year. Users look here for restaurants, travel recommendations, product reviews, or answers to everyday questions.
Fashion well illustrates this change. When seeing shoes, a handbag, or another detail liked on social media, we often do not know the model or manufacturer, so traditional keyword search becomes inconvenient. A similar situation may arise when seeing an unfamiliar plant, building, interior detail, or even a dish – the user knows what they want to find but does not always know how to describe it precisely.
That is why visual search is rapidly expanding. Features like Circle to Search allow marking the object of interest on the screen and starting its search without leaving the app in use. In this case, the search query becomes not a combination of keywords but the image itself.
“Sometimes we know perfectly well what we want to find but do not know how to name it. Seeing a piece of clothing, a plant, an interior detail, or a place to visit, the image itself can become the search query. This kind of smoothness is what users increasingly expect from technology today,” says E. Tamelytė.
The phone becomes part of the search process
As search habits change, the role of the smartphone itself changes. Previously, it was primarily a tool to open a browser or app, but today more and more search functions are integrated directly into the device usage experience. The user can search for information without leaving a video, photo, or other content visible on the screen.
This direction is reflected in the latest foldable phones, where the larger screen allows more convenient simultaneous viewing of content and search results. One of the newest such models, the Galaxy Fold8, has received favorable technology media reviews: the British publication T3 gave it 5 out of 5 stars and a Platinum Award, while Germany’s ComputerBild rated it 1.4 points, with 1 being the highest rating out of 5. According to T3 reviewers, the device offered a foldable phone experience that feels both new and mature.
Experts say that internet search is not going away but is becoming less tied to a single search box. Traditional search engines, social networks, conversational AI, and visual search become different paths of the same process. And for the user, it is increasingly important not where they search but how quickly and easily they get the needed answer.
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