When to Search on Google (or PubMed) vs. When to Use AI

We once relied on Google for all our searches, but we now have AI. Let's discuss when to use each option. Friday’s Digest #142

Table of contents

1. Life Update
2. Tools and Tips
3. Readers’ Favorite
4. For The Soul

Life Update

This week we went to an Asian food restaurant 🍜.

The food was delicious, and so was the Asian beer I had 🍺.

But it's not the food I want to discuss.

I want to discuss the chopsticks 🥢.

You know, those two wooden things you eat Asian food with.

My dear wife uses them, while I still use a fork and knife.

She likes chopsticks better, and I like the food better with a fork and a knife.

But 7 years ago, I felt bad about using a fork and knife in Asian restaurants.

I remember it vividly.

I was applying for a fellowship position and went to an Asian restaurant with two of my future mentors.

When we sat down to eat, I looked at the table and saw ONLY chopsticks. No forks, no knives, no spoons.

My heart sank 😱.

Then the food arrived at the table.

I had two options: using chopsticks and making a fool of myself, dropping food everywhere, or asking for a fork.

I asked for a fork.

After coming back home, I swore that would never happen to me again.

So I sat down, asked my dear wife to teach me how to use them, and practiced.

I even managed to eat rice with them.

Why did I feel bad when I asked for a fork 7 years ago?

And why don't I care about it anymore?

I assume there's a very simple psychology behind it.

So, for the psychologists among my readers — please let me know.

By the way, although I asked for a fork, I got accepted to that fellowship 😅.

Number 142!

Let’s do this.

Tools and Tips

How often do you use Google Search these days?

I find myself using it less and less.

"Why?" you ask?

Well, we now have many more effective ways to find information.

.

AI has revolutionized our lives, and some people have completely switched from Google to AI.

But we should not rely solely on AI.

Each tool can be great for one indication, but bad for another.

Today, I'll share which tools I use, and when I use them.

Let's dive in.

🔵 YouTube

This is THE tool I use to learn new skills and stay informed about what's happening in the world.

I no longer read forums and news sites.

Instead, I watch news conferences and political debates directly on YouTube, along with people explaining topics to me.

Why?

This way I can see who's speaking and evaluate the information directly.

Rather than relying on someone else's interpretation of events, I prefer to watch what happened and reach MY OWN conclusions.

YouTube is perfect for that.

It's very transparent— any promotions are clearly labeled.

There's no hidden agenda, and since I have a Premium subscription, there are no ads.

🔵 Gemini (for deep research)

Gemini's deep research is my first stop when I want to know something inside out.

I wrote a whole newsletter just on that, so you can read it here if you want to.

Why don't I use Google Search or PubMed as my first stop? Because there's too much data there.

It would take me days (or weeks) to cover it all. That's why after I'm done with Gemini's deep research, I turn to Google Search and PubMed for focused, targeted searches.

🔵 ChatGPT (using GPT 4 or 4.5)

For quick answers about general topics that don't require critical decision-making, I use ChatGPT.

I never use it for medical decisions.

I don't like how it writes. (I prefer writing by myself and using Grammarly for proofreading.)

And I don't trust it yet.

🔵 OpenEvidence

Whenever I need a quick response for medical decision-making, I use either UpToDate or OpenEvidence.

I find OpenEvidence to be a very reliable resource.

However, I always verify its information by checking the references and cross-checking them on Google or PubMed.

Will I ever trust it completely?

Maybe.

But not yet.

But here's what's interesting.

Many of the tools I use come from Google—

Google Search, YouTube, Gemini, and NotebookLM.

Google has a huge advantage: it has been virtually the ONLY search engine for two decades.

And it shows.

Readers’ Favorite

Paying for apps can become very expensive. But picking the best ones can save you money and boost your productivity.

Read about the apps I’m paying for (and those that are a complete waste of your money) here.

For The Soul

Resurfaced using Readwise.

Epilogue

If you received this newsletter from a friend and would like to join Friday's Digest, visit https://newsletter.shaysharon.com​

That’s it for this issue.

See you next week!

Shay

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