ChatGPT, Google, and Homo Googlis

Still, Homo Googlis remains the true protagonist of this digital age.

Some people already use AI systems like ChatGPT to search for information, and it seems that Google may be losing a bit of its grip.
It’s easy to see why: asking a question to ChatGPT often gives you a direct, precise answer without the awkward dance of scrolling through ten pages of search results. And let’s face it — on Google, the top result is not always the most relevant one for you, just the best-paid.

But before we jump to conclusions, we should stop and compare these two tools — and more importantly, the way we use them.

Search engines are built to offer results and give you options.
AI systems are built to generate answers and deliver synthesis.
In short: if you're looking for products, use Google.
If you're looking for solutions, ask AI.

The mistake would be to confuse them. Saying “I read it on Google” usually means “I picked one answer that seemed convincing.” Saying “ChatGPT told me” means “a system gave me a version of the answer it was trained to give.”
In both cases, the responsibility still lies with the person in front of the screen.

And that’s exactly where Homo Googlis comes back into focus.
He’s still there — smartphone in hand — but now he has two paths to choose from. He can search or ask. Click or prompt. That makes him not obsolete, but more essential than ever.

So the question is no longer “Will AI replace Google?” It’s: “Will Homo Googlis learn to use them both — and use them well?”

He’ll have to. Because if he doesn’t, the tools will use him.

And maybe, just maybe, that’s the next step in our digital evolution. From the distracted, click-hungry Homo Googlis of the past years, to a more aware, more intentional version.

Remember: Homo Googlis isn’t just a character — he’s us.

The man, the woman, the teenager staring at the screen. He is the one who, over time, has learned to think differently, to read differently, even to desire differently. All because we had to adapt to machines.

We first bent to the logic of the personal computer. Then to the rhythms of the smartphone.
Now we are adjusting — again — to the habits and hallucinations of AI.

Google gave us an imprint: the art of searching, of questioning, of scanning thousands of answers, hoping to find our truth.
AI, instead, offers us the illusion of precision, the comfort of synthesis, the silence after the click. And just like every tool that rewrites our habits, we’ll adapt. Because we always have.

Homo Googlis is not the technological child of Homo Sapiens. He is a hybrid evolution.
A bridge between the biological self and the virtual one. Our digital avatar 24/7 online: a projection of our identity shaped by likes, queries, prompts, and forgotten cookies.

He was born, in part, with Bill Gates. Grew up with Steve Jobs. Took shape with Brin and Page.
Now, something is changing again.

A new layer is being added. And if we don’t pay attention, it won’t be an upgrade — it’ll be a replacement.

So yes, maybe what we are witnessing is the beginning of Homo Googlis 2.0. More data-fed. More AI-guided. But perhaps, if we choose it, more conscious.

Because the future isn’t written by algorithms. It’s written by those who know how to use them.

To read the original article about Homo Googlis, click here.

Tags: #AI And Human Evolution, #Homo Googlis, #Digital Identity, #Future Of Search, #ChatGPT Vs Google, #Technology And Society, #AI Awareness

Gianni Dell’Aiuto is an Italian attorney with over 35 years of experience in legal risk management, data protection, and digital ethics. Based in Rome and proudly Tuscan, he advises businesses globally on regulations like the GDPR, AI Act, and NIS2. An author and frequent commentator on legal innovation, he helps companies turn compliance into a competitive edge while promoting digital responsibility. Click here for more information on his website

Editor: Wendy S Huffman