TLDR: While LLMs and search engines are different products, analyzing search engines can provide insights into the LLM business. Like search engines, LLM companies may achieve monopoly not through a single technology, but through a vast user base. Vast user base combined with an efficient engineer creates the moat.
Good writing. One extra thought: the slow growth in enterprise search and the absence of dominant vertical search engines will be different on applying LLM to enterprise/verticals. A more capable LLM has the ability to improve vertical LLM a lot without much customization (other than some general approach to data and alignment). However a more capable search doesn't always propagate their advantages when restricted to a private data corpus.
However, the biggest uncertainty is still the commercialization model. The subscription + enterprise API feels just the beginning, cannot wait to see how it evolves to be the real money making machine.
Good writing. One extra thought: the slow growth in enterprise search and the absence of dominant vertical search engines will be different on applying LLM to enterprise/verticals. A more capable LLM has the ability to improve vertical LLM a lot without much customization (other than some general approach to data and alignment). However a more capable search doesn't always propagate their advantages when restricted to a private data corpus.
However, the biggest uncertainty is still the commercialization model. The subscription + enterprise API feels just the beginning, cannot wait to see how it evolves to be the real money making machine.