Google is known for its advanced intelligence when it comes to searching for answers on the internet. However, users have been experiencing discomfort upon noticing a mismatch between what they search for and what the search engine provides as results.

This disparity in search results is a phenomenon that is no longer limited to individuals, but extends to entities such as businesses and organizations as well.

What is Google’s intelligence, and how does it work?

Google is an AI-based search engine whose primary function is to provide users with tailored search results based on their search queries.

The engine uses a complex algorithm that analyzes data such as user location, search history, search context, search patterns and thousands of other factors to display results that are either directly relevant or related to the search query. Additionally, Google uses people’s click-through patterns after seeing the search results to learn and optimize pages displayed so that it offers more accurate results to users in future searches.

Why search results can be misleading

However, in recent times, people have noticed that search results provided by Google can be inaccurate, or downright misleading in some cases.

This could be in the case of businesses whose legitimate pages are buried underneath spammy or irrelevant pages. It could also be in the case of people who make searches of things they are potentially blacklisted for like drugs, firearms or other items of illegal activity.

This raises two fundamental questions- What is the problem with Google’s intelligence, and why isn’t it detecting these inaccuracies?.

Factors that contribute to inaccurate search results

The first issue is with how search results are displayed. Display ranked results benefitting Google more than displaying the most relevant results to users.

It is somewhere in that balance that the need to provide a diverse set of results, the user experience optimization, and monetization of searches mingle. Hummingbird was released in 2013, and BERT in 2019; these were/are Google’s algorithm updates, which were meant to reduce ambiguity, increase accuracy and relevance of search results.

But these updates were far from perfect, and Google continues to tinker with its algorithms, though less egregiously.

The second one is an issue of governance. Google’s algorithms work based on ML/neural net models, which are complicated enough that even their dev team cannot audit them in their entirety.

This complexity also means that the result of the ML/neural net model is random, and some inaccuracies could always slip through the cracks. For example, hate speech may appear in search results despite being against Google’s TOS due to an oversight in the algorithm.

The effects of inaccurate search results on businesses and individuals

Inaccuracies in Google’s Intelligence algorithm affect both businesses and individuals in various ways. For instance, a business with a legitimate online infrastructure ends up being buried under pages of spam and illegitimate businesses.

This is because Google’s algorithm doesn’t entirely factor in the quality or legitimacy of the website it displays. This can have detrimental effects, especially for start-up businesses that rely on online traffic for their growth.

Individuals may also suffer due to incorrect search results. For instance, let’s say a person has a urinary tract infection, and they are looking for treatment options.

Inaccurate search results will provide them with pages that either aren’t legitimate or may promote harmful remedies which will delay the individual from getting proper medication.

Lawsuits against Google’s search algorithm

Google’s search algorithm has come under scrutiny in recent times, with many lawsuits brought forward against the company. One such lawsuit came in 2019, where Genius accused Google of copying their lyrics on their platform.

They claimed that the search engine was displaying their lyrics directly on the search page, thereby robbing them of potential clicks. The lawsuit claimed that Google’s algorithm was flawed and that it was taking content from legitimate sources and adding it to its search results.

The case followed another where Yelp had accused Google of manipulating search results to favor their businesses, undoubtedly far from the balance they were attempting to maintain.

Yelp stated that the search engine wasn’t displaying the most relevant and legitimate search results to users, thereby affecting its businesses’ growth.

The way forward for Google

Google’s Intelligence algorithm has come a long way in providing more accurate search results than it did when it was first launched.

However, there is still a lot that needs to be done to ensure that the search results provided are consistent with the search queries made. One of the ways forward is in transparency. Google’s search algorithms should be open-sourced and available to the public to audit and suggest improvements.

The second way forward is in regulation. Governments should regulate Google’s search algorithm, given the impact it has on individuals and businesses.

By regulating the algorithm, governments will ensure that it is optimized to provide the most relevant search results and that businesses and individuals are protected from inaccuracies that could harm their growth or welfare.

Conclusion

Google’s intelligence algorithm has indeed been misrepresented by search results.

Even though Google’s algorithm has come a long way, there is still a lot that could be done to ensure it provides consistent, accurate, and legitimate search results. By ensuring that Google’s algorithm is open-sourced and available to the public and regulated appropriately, we can generate confidence that the search engine operates optimally and fulfills the functions it proposes to.