Genspark is the latest attempt at an AI-powered search engine | TechCrunch

Move over, Perplexity. There’s a new AI-powered search engine in town — and its creators think it might be better than many other attempts.

called GenSparkThe platform uses generative AI to write custom summaries in response to search queries. Type in a search term, such as, “What is the best baby formula for newborns?” and GenSpark A SparkPage will be created: a single-page overview aggregated from websites and content available on the web.

It’s an experience that’s (obviously) similar Arc Search feature of Arc Browserwhich was launched earlier this year, and Google’s AI overview in Google SearchBut Eric Jing, who co-founded the eponymous organization behind GenSpark with Ke Zhu in 2023, claims GenSpark is able to deliver higher-quality results by taking a more surgical approach.

“ZenSpark uses several specialized AI models, each designed to tackle specific types of queries,” Jing told TechCrunch. “SparkPages are like a distillation and consolidation of the current web; we also enrich these with comprehensive data, and to users, it looks like an index to the existing web.”

Under the hood, GenSpark relies on models trained in-house as well as third-party models from OpenAI, Anthropic, and others to categorize users’ search queries and determine how to organize and present results. A basic AI-generated summary appears at the top of every results page, followed by a link to a more detailed SparkPage.

For example, for travel-related searches, GenSpark will provide a Wikipedia-like SparkPage with a table of contents, videos of popular destinations nearby, tips, and a chatbot to ask questions about various subtopics (such as “list the best cultural experiences”). Meanwhile, product searches on GenSpark provide SparkPage with a list of pros and cons about the product being discussed, as well as aggregated comments and reviews from social media, publications, and e-commerce stores.

“Our AI models give preference to webpages with higher authority and popularity, which greatly helps filter out more ‘extraneous’ information,” Jing said.

Much has been written about AI-generated overviews being inaccurate. Google’s AI overview infamously suggested Applying glue to pizzaArk Search told a reporter that severed toes will eventually grow back. and confusion cheated Articles written by publications such as CNBC, Bloomberg, and Forbes, with or without attribution.

So has GenSpark solved all the security and accuracy issues? No, definitely not.

GenSpark didn’t ask me to make glue pizza — nor did it insist that I should Health benefits of running with scissors, or former US President Barack Obama’s adherence to Islam. but search engines Did Recommend some weapons I could use this to kill someone,

Ethically questionable search results aren’t the only controversy facing GenSpark. It and other platforms like it threaten to reduce traffic to the sites from which they get their information.

In fact, they already are.

One study found that AI observation Nearly 25% of publisher traffic is negatively impacted Because of the less emphasis on webpage links on the revenue side, an expert quoted by The New York Post estimated AI-generated overviews could cost publishers over $2 billion in losses due to a drop in ad views.

I wasn’t able to find examples of outright plagiarism on GenSpark, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. SparkPages, like Wikipedia pages, are not static. After GenSpark’s AI creates an outline, anyone can share and edit copies of the SparkPages and add whatever information they want – including things that are offensive, inaccurate, or plagiarized.

Also – at least right now – there is no way to report problematic SparkPages.

Jing says SparkPages is open-ended and editable by design so users can fact-check claims, and GenSpark’s AI systems take each edit into account to improve results in the future. He also said GenSpark plans to license copyrighted content — including publisher content — where it makes sense, with the goal of improving the engine’s overall accuracy.

“We take data quality seriously, and we believe data quality is the key to winning this race,” Jing said. “Respect for intellectual property is a core value.”

How much will Genspark pay for the IP? That’s yet to be decided. Genspark’s business model is similar: Jing says the platform will offer “premium features” in the future, but the specifics are still uncertain.

Despite the fact that GenSpark is at an early stage in terms of its roadmap, and faces major technical – as well as legal and ethical – hurdles, the startup managed to close a large seed round of $60 million led by Singapore-based VC firm Launchy Ventures, at a post-money valuation of $260 million.

Lanci managing partner Jui Tan called GenSpark’s vision “really compelling” and said he was confident in Jing and Zhu’s technical direction, pointing to the pair’s past experiences in building AI and search products.

Jing was previously a development manager on Microsoft’s Bing team and chief product manager at Chinese tech giant Baidu’s core search and AI division. Zhu, also a search-focused former Google and Baidu employee, teamed up with Jing four years ago to launch a hardware startup called Xiaodu, which makes smart devices such as the Amazon Echo.

“Eric and Kay are seasoned serial entrepreneurs with a proven track record of developing successful products and businesses, particularly in the AI ​​and search domains,” Tan told TechCrunch. “Their team’s extensive experience makes them uniquely positioned to drive groundbreaking innovations.”

But I think it’s an uphill battle.

Assuming for a moment that Genspark can solve the teething problems of its technology, identify a revenue generation plan, and grow its small (~20-person) Singapore and Bay Area-based team, none of which are straightforward tasks, it will face intense competitive pressure from rival companies with hundreds of millions of dollars in the bank — not to mention search companies like Google.

So, what is GenSpark In fact Survivors Poor optics And Unsuccessful Market-Entry Strategies What has influenced other attempts at an AI-powered search engine? And can it carve out a niche in the future, such as OpenAI launched a comparable device,

I don’t believe it. But Jing is adamant that it can happen.

“Many internet users, especially those younger than Google, don’t want to be simply given a list of links and then have to figure out the rest on their own, while relying on sponsored content and SEO-driven content that cheats the system,” said Jing. “They want to find what they want faster, they want more visual results, and they want to know that the results are trustworthy. With AI, we can achieve all of this, and we launched GenSpark to meet those needs.”