Issue #19 - Google Finds It. AI Works Through It.

Issue #19 • October 27, 2026 Google Finds It. AI Works Through It. I've been asked this enough times now that it deserves its own issue: "What's the difference between searching on Google and asking Claude or ChatGPT?" It's a great question, because a lot of people use AI exactly like Google. Type a few words, read the answer, done. That works, but it leaves most of the value on the table. The Short Answer A search engine is a librarian. You ask, and it points you to the shelves: here are ten pages that might help. You do the reading, the comparing and the deciding. An AI assistant is a research assistant. It reads for you, pulls the pieces together, and gives you an answer you can keep talking about. "What if I'm on a fixed income?" A librarian can't take that follow-up. AI can. Notice what the AI did that a search can't: it asked me a question back. Where the leak is changes the answer, so it found out before telling me what to do. One honest wrinkle. The line is blurring. Google now puts AI answers at the top of many searches and has an "AI Mode" you can chat with, and Claude and ChatGPT can search the web and show their sources. So the real question isn't which company. It's what you want back: a list of sources to judge yourself, or an answer you can talk through. This Week's Russell Rundown Watch me ask regular Google, Claude, and Google's new AI Mode the same question, in under three minutes. Watch the Rundown → Which One Should I Use? Search when you need… • Store hours or an address • A specific product or price • Today's news • An official form or website One fact, one right answer. Ask AI when you need… • Something explained • Options compared • Help with a decision • Questions for your doctor or plumber Anything you'd open five tabs for. This Week's Tip Stop typing keywords. Tell it your situation. Google wants "water heater leaking repair." AI does better with the whole story: how old it is, where it's leaking, what you're worried about. Then ask a follow-up. And remember last week: AI hands you an answer instead of sources, so checking it is your job. The higher the stakes, the more you verify. This Week's Tool Google AI Mode is Google you can talk to. Instead of a page of links, you get a written answer with the sources listed alongside, and you can ask follow-up questions. It's free, and if you already use Google, you already have it. It's the easiest bridge between "Googling it" and "asking AI." Go to google.com/ai, or open the Google app on your phone and tap AI Mode. Simple steps are on our Tools page. See AI Mode on the Tools Page → Your turn: this week, take one question you'd normally Google and ask Claude or ChatGPT instead, with the full story. Email me at gary@aiunlocked.us and tell me which one gave you the better answer. Stay curious. Gary AI Unlocked  |  Your trusted guide on the AI journey aiunlocked.us