I Spent a Week Using Only TikTok for Search

Google is reportedly in "code red" mode, deploying resources and calling in its cofounders to address perceived threats to its extremely dominant search engine. The threat du jour is ChatGPT--an AI-powered large language model that is also helping us write term papers and poetry, draft regulations, and make medical diagnoses. How could a twitchy video app filled with dancing teens, cat memes, food hacks, and cringey stunts help you find a financial adviser or a train timetable, or even search results for yourself? It depends on what your interpretation of "search" is, but if you're seeking less specific, more entertaining results--a search process more akin to social discovery--then TikTok is making a strong play. In 2021, content delivery network Cloudflare reported that Tiktok.com