Metadata. The shift from Google-centric to AI-centric digital spaces

Abstract

Metadata, the foundational descriptor of digital content, has long served as the main key of information retrieval and indexing in internet systems, and even the era before. In the time of Google-centric digital spaces, metadata primarily supported keyword-based search engines that indexed vast quantities of web pages for human query interpretation. However, with the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI), digital spaces are undergoing a paradigmatic shift toward AI-centricity. This transition alters how metadata is generated, interpreted, and utilized. This article examines the evolving role of metadata in this transition, contrasting static, human-authored metadata with dynamic, AI-generated semantic structures. The paper explores the implications for information architecture, privacy, algorithmic transparency, and the emergence of knowledge synthesis engines. In AI-centric environments, metadata is no longer merely descriptive but becomes an integral part of cognitive frameworks that enable machines to understand, contextualize, and even create knowledge.