Core Viewpoint - The integration of AI technology into search engines by major tech giants like Google and Baidu raises concerns about whether AI-generated search results will become a breeding ground for commercial advertisements. Google has officially announced that it will embed ads within AI search answers, aiming to enhance user experience while providing more efficient marketing opportunities for advertisers [1][3]. Group 1: Google's Strategy - Google's initiative aims to match user needs with relevant ad content, thereby improving the search experience and creating effective marketing scenarios for advertisers. For instance, when a user searches for "how to solve low water pressure issues," AI will not only provide solutions but also display ads for plumbing services or home repair companies [3]. - Google claims that this new ad format is based on actual user needs and aligns with modern search habits, potentially helping users quickly connect with relevant businesses at critical moments [3][4]. Group 2: Market Context and Challenges - Despite Google's optimistic portrayal of AI ads as a "new way to access information," skepticism remains prevalent. Analysts have noted that with the surge in AI technology investments, companies are under pressure to find new revenue streams. Currently, the user payment rate in the AI industry is only 3%, while giants like Google and Meta have invested hundreds of billions in this field. Thus, converting the remaining 97% of "free traffic" into ad revenue has become a necessary strategy for these companies [3][4]. - Google's confidence in AI advertising stems from its precision. Unlike traditional search ads that rely on keyword matching, AI ads can better understand user intent, allowing for the promotion of highly relevant commercial content. The inherent trust users have in AI also provides a favorable environment for such ads [4]. Group 3: Industry Trends - AI is gradually replacing traditional search engines, with more users turning to AI for answers instead of conventional search methods. This shift in user behavior not only alters search habits but also introduces new variables into the advertising market [4].

Core Viewpoint - Perplexity, an AI search startup, faces significant challenges despite its high valuation of $18 billion, including struggles in monetizing its advertising business and legal issues with content copyright [2][4][12]. Group 1: Company Overview - Perplexity was founded three years ago and has rapidly increased its valuation to $18 billion while expanding into advertising and shopping [2]. - The company recently made headlines with a proposal to acquire Google Chrome for $34.5 billion, aiming to gain a substantial user base [32][33]. - Perplexity's advertising revenue for Q4 of the previous year was only $20,000, highlighting the difficulties in generating income from this segment [3][10]. Group 2: Advertising Challenges - The departure of Taz Patel, the head of advertising, after just nine months, raises concerns about the company's ability to effectively develop its advertising strategy [7][11]. - Perplexity's advertising efforts are still in the experimental phase, with no clear successor to lead the advertising business following Patel's exit [11]. - The company has incurred millions in legal expenses due to copyright lawsuits from major publishers, further complicating its financial situation [12][14]. Group 3: Industry Context - Perplexity is not alone in facing challenges in the advertising space; major players like Microsoft and Google are also exploring AI-driven advertising but have encountered their own difficulties [15][18]. - Microsoft has integrated OpenAI's technology into Bing and is attempting to embed ads within conversational responses, but its daily active users still lag behind Google [16][17]. - Google is also experimenting with AI search ads but has faced issues with the quality of its AI-generated responses, which could deter advertisers [19][29]. Group 4: Future Prospects - The AI search advertising market is still in its infancy, with projected spending of only $1 billion in 2024, indicating that companies like Perplexity may struggle to recover costs through advertising alone [38]. - Despite the challenges, there is potential for higher conversion rates in AI-driven advertising compared to traditional search, as evidenced by Microsoft's data showing increased user interaction and conversion rates [40]. - The future of AI search may shift from traditional advertising models to a focus on delivering results, raising questions about the reliability of AI recommendations and the evolving nature of advertising in this space [44].

Core Insights - The rise of "intelligent agents" in the AI industry is transforming market dynamics, moving away from traditional AI products that fail to meet user needs [1][2] - The shift towards intelligent agents is driven by their ability to provide practical, user-friendly solutions, contrasting with the complexity of traditional AI applications [1][2] Group 1: Intelligent Agents in Search Engines - Search engines are the first application area to complete the "intelligent agent" transformation, evolving from simple information retrieval to proactive understanding of user intent [3][4] - Traditional search engines are being disrupted by intelligent agents that can provide comprehensive, actionable results, thereby changing the market landscape [4][5] - Major search companies like Google are adapting to this shift, with Google's market share dropping from 93% to 89.7% as users migrate to intelligent agent-based searches [5][6] Group 2: Video Intelligent Agents - The video creation sector is experiencing a surge in intelligent agent development, with the global AI video generator market projected to grow from $614.8 million in 2024 to $2.5629 billion by 2032, at a CAGR of 20% [7][8] - The competition in video generation tools is shifting from technical parameters to user experience and efficiency, with a focus on seamless human-machine collaboration [8][9] - The introduction of features like "one-sentence video generation" by platforms like Nano AI Super Search is addressing user pain points and enhancing content creation efficiency [9][10] Group 3: Market Position and Performance - Nano AI Super Search has rapidly gained traction, achieving a web traffic of 156.67 million in June, making it the leading AI search engine in China and second globally [10][12] - The product's capabilities include understanding user intent, cross-domain search, and automated task execution, which significantly enhance user experience [12][13] - The competitive landscape is evolving, with the introduction of an "intelligent agent ranking" reflecting user preferences and product performance in the market [10][11]