Google's Liz Reid on Who Will Own Search in a World of AI | Odd Lots

Not too long ago, search engines were the dominant form of querying the internet. But that's changing since the rise of large language models like ChatGPT, Claude, and Google's Gemini. More and more people are getting their online info through AI, effectively bypassing the search bars of old and creating a tension for large tech companies that offer AI models and also make money from web traffic and search-related advertising. In this episode, we speak with Elizabeth Reid, head of search at Google. Liz has been with the company for more than two decades, witnessing multiple tech transformations in that time. So we talk with her about how Google is incorporating Gemini into search via AI overviews, what that means for traffic and and sales, and the practical experience of search in an age of LLMs and internet slop. Chapters: 00:00:01 - Opening AI Search Context 00:02:36 - The Search Disruption Dilemma 00:07:12 - AI's Evolution in Search 00:08:30 - The Click-Out vs. Direct Answer Tension 00:12:09 - AI Overview Decision Logic 00:15:20 - User Behavior Patterns Across Platforms 00:17:44 - Fact-Checking and Search Evolution 00:19:31 - Search Result Timeliness Issues 00:22:20 - Query Sophistication Evolution 00:24:48 - Privacy and Technical Challenges 00:27:19 - AI Impact on Software Engineering Recruitment 00:29:55 - Future Interface Predictions 00:34:20 - Token Usage and Productivity Metrics 00:37:45 - Measuring AI Impact on Business 00:42:31 - Monetization of AI Features 00:45:49 - Single vs. Multiple Search Interfaces 00:48:56 - AI Slop and Content Quality Watch Bloomberg Vodcasts:    • Bloomberg Video Podcasts | Interviews & More   Watch more Odd Lots episodes:    • Odd Lots   Bloomberg's Joe Weisenthal and Tracy Alloway analyze the weird patterns, the complex issues and the newest market crazes. Join the conversation every Monday and Thursday for interviews with the most interesting minds in finance, economics and markets. Join the conversation: discord.gg/oddlots Subscribe to Bloomberg Podcasts: https://bit.ly/BloombergPodcasts Check out more Odd Lots:    • Odd Lots (Audio)   Get the Odd Lots newsletter: https://www.bloomberg.com/account/new... And for all things Odd Lots, visit https://www.bloomberg.com/oddlots #Investing #Markets #Finance #Bloomberg #Podcast #OddLots Visit us: https://www.bloomberg.com/podcasts For coverage on news, markets and more: http://www.bloomberg.com/video Visit our other YouTube channels: Bloomberg Television:    / @markets   Bloomberg Originals:    / bloomberg