It's interesting you say that devs have switched over to using ChatGPT instead of Google + StackOverflow - - one of the things I like about StackOverflow is it gives me multiple answers, as well as a conversation between users debating the merits/demerits of an approach. I tried implementing ChatGPT in my own coding workflow, but my own processes and libraries are already in place, so ChatGPT didn't have the necessary 'context' available to give me code that worked for me.

I'm also wondering about niche specific disruptions. For example, as ChatGPT improves, keywords and search phrases related to coding for beginners may shift over from Google Search to ChatGPT, since the output required for many of these queries is a code snippet with minimal context. That definitely eats into Google's ad revenue for ads related to "Learn Python" etc courses that may have been in the search results for those keywords and phrases.

Many searches related to academia/liberal arts may also shift from Google to ChatGPT, for example, any "wiki"esque informational search terms.

I don't see many transactional searches being done with ChatGPT, because searching for something to buy usually includes a step where alternatives are vetted and compared, reviews are consulted, their legitimacy assessed etc - - if I need a new coffee machine, I don't see myself asking ChatGPT for it, although I may ask ChatGPT for "what are some essential features in a good coffee maker" - - this means that the abundance of affiliate sites that used to mass-generate informational articles as a prelude to an affiliate CTA may have something to worry about.

You're right in that search engines may incorporate elements of the ChatGPT UI, and IMO they've already started doing this, with things like knowledge panels and Q&A snippets - - they may decide to refine things further and make the search results more 'conversational', different UI, same backend.

Of course, just like social media and search engines became intermediates over the past decade, becoming middlemen instead of people visiting websites directly, AI interfaces can add a second layer of intermediation of online information, that would be the worst possible outcome.