What Does the Future Hold? - Search Marketing

In search marketing, we always wonder how our industry will evolve in the future.  The idea of search going away is inconceivable to us today, but will it always be?  I was reading this article in the NY Times this morning, and it was all about automated computer systems, and voice recognition and artificial intelligence.  Maybe this is how search will evolve.  People will simply be able to have a conversation with their computers to find what they're looking for, and browsing will become obsolete.  The article talks about the Siri technology (which Apple purchased in April), and how you can easily find and book a restaurant reservation simply by saying you're looking for something romantic at 8 within walking distance. 

Now, imagine what the hotel industry could do with this.  Being able to plan an entire vacation simply by having a conversation with a computer, stating that you want to go someplace tropical in June for 5 nights that's quiet, has golf for your husband, activities for the kids, and a swim up pool bar that serves frozen margaritas with umbrellas in them for you, and a budget of about $3,000.  The computer may speak back to you and ask if the kids need their own room, or if you all want to share a suite.  Or it might talk to you about language preferences.  All of it being more of a conversation than typing in keywords or marking radio buttons with your preferences. 

Now imagine if everything you ever needed to search for was that easy?  How would that change our industry?  How would advertising come into play when the world turns to computer avatars and voice recognition technologies?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/25/science/25voice.html