The technology world has been laser-focused on the “AI hype,” with models like ChatGPT promising to revolutionise every industry. However, a recent data leak from OpenAI has inadvertently pulled back the curtain, and what it reveals is telling.
The incident, where private user prompts were reportedly leaked to Google Search, is more than just another security lapse. It is a powerful reminder that even the most advanced AI is not a self-contained oracle. It is deeply, fundamentally reliant on the vast, real-time-updated internet.
This suggests a major shift is underway. As AI models themselves become common, the focus is pivoting from the AI tool to the information that feeds it. The “AI hype” may soon be eclipsed by the “information hype.”
The Leak Lays It Bare: AI Needs the Web
The core of the issue appears to be that when an AI model needs to answer a query about current events or up-to-the-minute data, it has to look outside itself. Its primary tool for doing this? The humble web search.
This latest leak demonstrates this dependency in the clearest possible terms. The AI was not just using search in the background; it was apparently sending entire, confidential user prompts as search queries.
This reveals that the AI’s power is not just in its algorithm, but in its connection to the “live” web. Without a constant stream of fresh, human-generated data, any AI model quickly becomes a static, outdated library.
The New Gold Rush: Paying for Information
This shift from the AI engine to its fuel is already being reflected in corporate strategy. We are seeing major platforms making significant financial moves to secure data, effectively acknowledging that information is the most valuable asset.
- Google’s reported deal with Reddit is a perfect example. Google is not paying for Reddit’s technology; it is paying for access to a massive, constantly updated, and uniquely human database of conversations, problems, and opinions.
- Other AI platforms are in similar races, striking deals with news organisations, publishers, and other content providers to legally use their information.
These companies are establishing a clear principle: high-quality, real-time data is the scarce resource, not the AI model itself.
The Inevitable Commoditisation of AI
This brings us to a well-known concept in technology: commoditisation.
When a technology is new, the tool itself is the valuable part. Over time, as more competitors learn to build it, the technology becomes more common, cheaper, and with less difference between providers. We are entering this phase with AI.
Dozens of companies can now build a “good” large language model. When the AI tools, algorithms, and models all start to look the same, what makes one better than the other?
The answer is information.
The AI service that has access to the most data, the highest quality data, and—most critically—the freshest data, will be the most useful. An AI that is unaware of this morning’s news is far less valuable than one that is, unless the AI Model is using internal information or information that doesn’t need the latest data.
This Puts Search Engines Back in the Driver’s Seat
For decades, major web search engines like Google have perfected one core business: indexing the entire internet in real-time. They are, by far, the world’s experts at sifting, ranking, and updating information at a planetary scale.
For a long time, it looked as if AI might be a “Google killer.” This recent incident, combined with the “information hype,” suggests the opposite may be true.
Instead of being replaced by AI Chatbots, search engines are positioned to be the single most critical utility for AI Chatbots. They are the gatekeepers to the fresh data that all AI Chatbot models desperately need to stay relevant. This puts them firmly back in the front seat, not just as a tool for users, an essential service provider for the entire AI Chatbot industry.
What This Means for Your Business
This new ecosystem, where AI tools are constantly pulling data from third parties, creates a complex new web of security risks. The OpenAI leak is a stark reminder that when your employees use an AI, your “private” data may be travelling to places you never intended—like a public search index.
Understanding where your data is going, who has access to it, and how it is being used is more critical than ever. As the “information hype” grows, so does the need for robust data governance.
If your organisation is navigating the complexities of using AI tools or is concerned about third-party data risk, contact the expert team at Vertex. We can help you build the security frameworks needed for this new information-centric world.