AI chatbots show less information diversity than search engines

Experts and researchers are highlighting the limitations and societal implications of artificial intelligence. During the Transformation Festival at the Copernicus Science Centre, specialists discussed the impact of AI on independent thinking and human agency, warning that users must avoid uncritical acceptance of algorithmic answers to maintain intellectual effort.

Complementing these concerns, a study by researchers from the University of Copenhagen found that AI chatbots provide a significantly narrower range of information compared to traditional search engines. After testing 27 large language models across 155 topics, researchers determined that chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini exhibit at least 19% less diversity in their responses than conventional web searches. Interestingly, the study noted that smaller models often produced more diverse results than larger ones, challenging the assumption that model size directly correlates with information breadth.