Summary
Highlights
John from Google and Akshaya from Bing emphasize the significant responsibility search engines have in answering trivial and important questions accurately and making a positive impact on society. They highlight the use of AI and machine learning in achieving this goal.
Search engines don't search the entire internet in real-time. Instead, they constantly scan the web in advance using programs called "Spiders" to collect and record information from billions of websites into a special database called a "search index." This pre-processing allows search engines to provide instant results.
When a query is made, the search engine matches keywords in its index. To return the best results from millions of possibilities, each search engine uses a unique algorithm to rank pages. Google's famous PageRank algorithm, named after Larry Page, prioritizes pages with more incoming links, assuming popular pages are more relevant.
Spammers constantly try to manipulate search algorithms for higher rankings. Search engines regularly update their algorithms to counter these tactics and filter unreliable sites. Users are advised to verify sources. Modern search engines also use implicit information, like location, and machine learning to understand the underlying meaning of words, providing more nuanced and relevant results.