Comparing Traditional and LLM-based Search for Consumer Choice: A Randomized Experiment

Understand

Recent advances in the development of large language models are rapidly changing how online applications function.

• LLM-based search tools, for instance, offer a natural language interface that can accommodate complex queries and provide detailed, direct responses.
• At the same time, there have been concerns about the veracity of the information provided by LLM-based tools due to potential mistakes or fabrications that can arise in algorithmically generated text.
• In a set of online experiments we investigate how LLM-based search changes people's behavior relative to traditional search, and what can be done to mitigate overreliance on LLM-based output.