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InsideGoogle
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
 
What You Can't Google
Google Blogoscoped points out the limitations of current search technology. Phillip Lensen says the one thing search engines can't possibly accomplish with current technology: the ability to make value judgements. Sure, Google can tell you the most popular site for cars and the lowest price on batteries. The one thing Google can't do is tell you which car or battery is better. Of course, in many ways, these are the same limits all computers face today, and the ultimate goal of computing and artificial intelligence.

Comments:
Not sure this is true. Eventually, Google should be able to tell you what reputable sources say are the best cars or best batteries.

True, it's not quite there yet, but it's not all that far off. For example, try searching for the specific name of a product and add "+review" to the end of your query. The results should, at a minimum, show the potential for Google finding reputable reviews of products.
 
Products, perhaps, but what about religions or presidential candidates. And, while Google can point you to reviews of products, it can't tell you which review is better or which product is better, just which is more popular. But all that is secondary. The main point is that Google can't make value judgements; it just serves up web pages. The future of computing will depend on computers that think.
 
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