Until recently, searching for something online meant typing a basic phrase into your search engine of choice – for example, “Thai food near me” or “Springboks match schedule 2025” – and then scrolling through pages of results to find the best one. Now, thanks to advances in voice and image recognition, plus the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), online search is starting to evolve. Here’s how to get the best results from search in the modern age.
AI Search
With the rise of AI, more and more people are using AI tools to find information. OpenAI (the company behind ChatGPT) released a report that showed around 49% of messages on the consumer version of the app up until July 2025 could be classified as “asking”. And with “Ask Meta AI” available in WhatsApp, and AI mode and AI summaries popping up in Google, it’s getting even easier to search with AI.
3 tips for AI search:
Provide context: For example, if you’re asking something like, “When are strawberries in season?”, tell the AI that you’re in South Africa or turn on location in your settings.
Keep going: You can have a conversation with AI. If it doesn’t give you the answer you want right away, ask follow-up questions.
Be wary of fake results: Because AI is programmed to be helpful, it can sometimes hallucinate – which means it makes stuff up if it can’t find an answer to your question. When you ask your question, tell it to supply links that support the information it gave you – and check them.
Voice Search
From home assistants, like Google or Alexa, to your phone, voice search is the most natural and convenient way to search. It lets you ask questions, hands-free, while you’re on the go.
3 tips for voice search:
Use natural language: Speak to your voice assistant like you would speak to a person, using full sentences and regular words. e.g. “What time do the Springboks play on Saturday?”
Be clear: Most voice assistants are trained to respond to question words like “What”, “where”, or “how”. When in doubt, use English – some claim to support African languages, but we found they weren’t always reliable.
Reduce interference: Avoid background noise as far as possible. If you’re in a noisy environment, speak directly into the device.
Image Search
This has been around for a while, but thanks to AI-powered image search tools, it’s getting smarter. To use Google’s image search, open Google and look for a little camera or picture icon, depending on what device you’re using. Many modern smartphones also have various degrees of image search capability embedded.
3 tips for image search
Make it clear: If you’re uploading an image, choose the highest resolution possible and make sure the subject is clearly visible with good lighting.
Crop it: Frame the subject in the centre, so the image detector can clearly see what you want to focus on.
Ask for more: Enhance your search by asking specific questions about the image, e.g., “What breed of dog is this?”
In the end, a good search still starts with curiosity. The smarter your question, the better your answer.
