The short answer is no.

The long answer is more nuanced: generative search is not only poised to disrupt classical search, but it may ultimately replace it. However, Google has already launched its Search Generative Experience (SGE).

On a broader scale, we are entering what I like to call the post-search era—an era of tectonic transformation that reminds me of the early 2000s. At that time, Google replaced Yahoo as the dominant force in search, shifting the paradigm from directory-based browsing to keyword-based search. Now, after a quarter-century in which traditional search has been at the heart of the web, a new paradigm is emerging centered on generative AI.

In my latest book, We Are the Glitch, I delve deeply into this topic, predicting the entry of OpenAI into the search market—a move that materialized just days ago. This was not foresight as much as an inevitability for those paying attention: generative AI was always going to reshape how we interact with online content.

As I wrote in the book: Hypothetically, tools like ChatGPT could one day become the primary or even sole, interfaces for accessing the web. That prediction has now come to fruition. Instead of launching a standalone SearchGPT product, OpenAI integrated search directly into ChatGPT's interface, making it more seamless for users.

But ChatGPT is not alone in this shift. The online search market, valued at over $200 billion and long dominated by Google in the West, is now seeing challengers like Perplexity (backed by Jeff Bezos) and, reportedly, even Meta.

Google, of course, is not idle. Its SGE is active in 120 countries, and despite regulatory hurdles in Europe, the company is working to comply with privacy laws for a forthcoming EU launch.

But, what sets generative search apart from traditional search?

Traditional search engines respond with a list of links, requiring users to navigate multiple sources for answers. In contrast, generative search delivers conversational responses, allowing for follow-up questions and deeper exploration. This is a search experience that truly understands human language—not just SEO keywords, which I've argued for years are becoming irrelevant in this evolving context.

For instance, imagine searching for the best rooftop hotel in Rome on a traditional search engine. You'd get a mix of organic results and sponsored links. A generative search engine, however, might respond with something like:

If you're looking for spectacular rooftop hotels in Rome, don't miss [HOTEL NAME]. It offers one of the city's most iconic rooftops with breathtaking views from Villa Medici to the Tiber. Perfect for daytime relaxation or sunset cocktails, it boasts a meticulously curated ambiance and a high-end culinary experience, ideal for those seeking refined cocktails in an elegant setting.

All of this was done without ever leaving the search page.

So, my answer would be that the web began with directories, transitioned to search, and now seems ready for a new chapter—one shaped by cognitive, conversational interactions more aligned with human thought processes.

The central question is no longer how this transition will happen. 
But whether we are ready for it.