meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti

Is Google's new AI search killing the internet?

On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti

WBUR

News, On Point, Daily, Npr, Talk Show

4.33.9K Ratings

🗓️ 27 May 2026

⏱️ 42 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Google has a new AI search bar. Instead of links, it gives you AI-synthesized answers. Some say it could be the end of the internet as we know it.

*** Thank you for listening. Help power On Point by making a donation here: wbur.org/giveonpoint

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Some follow the noise. Bloomberg follows the money, whether it's the funds fueling AI or

0:06.9

crypto's trillion dollar swings. There's a money side to every story. Get the money side of the story.

0:13.5

Subscribe now at Bloomberg.com.

0:18.2

Support for WBUR comes from Is Business Broken, a podcast from the Mayrotra Institute at Boston University that explores questions like, why is innovation in health care so hard? Is ESG just greenwashing? And of course, is business broken? Listen, wherever you get your podcasts.

0:42.1

Hey, it's OnPoint producer Leila,

0:47.2

here to give you the nudge to join us in the OnPoint Club. Earlier this year, we did a show about humans need for rhythm. It's essential to so many of our brains functions, and it influences

0:52.7

your stress levels, your mood, your sleep,

0:54.8

your concentration. Now I'm giving On Point Club members more from behind the scenes and bonus audio

1:00.2

from our amazing interview with Jerry Leak at New England Conservatory and Berkeley College of Music.

1:05.3

To hear it, sign up for the club. For $7 a month, you get exclusive content like this,

1:10.3

first access to the jackpot each week, and discounts to special live events like the upcoming WBUR Festival.

1:17.3

To join, just click on the link in the episode description or go to onpoint radio.org.

1:22.4

Now stick around for today's show.

1:27.7

WBUR Podcasts, Boston.

1:35.9

This is on point.

1:37.4

I'm Megna Chakra-Bardi.

1:39.0

In August of 1996, the company that would go on to be known as Google launched a tool that transformed

1:46.7

the web. Google's search had a simple idea. The more things that were linked to a certain page,

1:53.6

the more useful that web page must be. So Google made the link king.

2:01.8

And in the 30 years since then, the entire world has relied on this kind of search to reveal information, hidden gems, and pathways around the internet to deeper understanding on just about everything.

2:15.7

And in fact, that singular purpose about the link

2:17.9

was embodied in the company's mission statement,

...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 19 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from WBUR, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of WBUR and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.