Google Search: Difference between revisions
→AI Overview (2023): Overview false claims of Rossmann sponsorship with Ground News Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit |
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Since 2023, along with the boom and pushes to generative [[AI]], Google introduced AI-powered features onto the search engine, such as AI Overview and AI Mode. These features have caused several controversies and criticism either from users and publishers, highlighting these aspects: | Since 2023, along with the boom and pushes to generative [[AI]], Google introduced AI-powered features onto the search engine, such as AI Overview and AI Mode. These features have caused several controversies and criticism either from users and publishers, highlighting these aspects: | ||
*The inability to completely turn these AI features off from the search engine. | *The inability to completely turn these AI features off from the search engine. | ||
*{{Wplink|Hallucination (artificial intelligence)|Hallucinations}} provided by the AI that give false information to the user<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mickle|last2=Metz |last3=Freedman |last4=Mondría Terol |last5=Collins |first=Tripp |first2=Cade |first3=Dylan |first4=Teresa |first5=Keith |date=7 Apr 2026 |title=How Accurate Are Google’s A.I. Overviews?|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/technology/google-ai-overviews-accuracy.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/r9qPK |archive-date=2026-05-16 |access-date=12 Jun 2026 |website=The New York Times}}</ref> | *{{Wplink|Hallucination (artificial intelligence)|Hallucinations}} provided by the AI that give false information to the user, biases and potential control over shown results.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mickle|last2=Metz |last3=Freedman |last4=Mondría Terol |last5=Collins |first=Tripp |first2=Cade |first3=Dylan |first4=Teresa |first5=Keith |date=7 Apr 2026 |title=How Accurate Are Google’s A.I. Overviews?|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/technology/google-ai-overviews-accuracy.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.ph/r9qPK |archive-date=2026-05-16 |access-date=12 Jun 2026 |website=The New York Times}}</ref> | ||
*The high energy and resource consumption and environmental impact of generative AI <ref>{{Cite web |last=Darley |first=James |date=2 Jun 2026 |title=What is the True Energy Cost of Google Search’s AI Overview? |url=https://energydigital.com/news/what-is-the-true-energy-cost-of-google-searchs-ai-overview |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/n6f4L |archive-date=2026-06-02 |access-date=2 Jun 2026 |website=Energy Digital}}</ref> | *The high energy and resource consumption and environmental impact of generative AI, with AI-powered searches consuming ten times more energy than a regular search.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Darley |first=James |date=2 Jun 2026 |title=What is the True Energy Cost of Google Search’s AI Overview? |url=https://energydigital.com/news/what-is-the-true-energy-cost-of-google-searchs-ai-overview |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/n6f4L |archive-date=2026-06-02 |access-date=2 Jun 2026 |website=Energy Digital}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Potter|first=Lucy |date=10 Jun 2026 |title=Google AI Search Uses 10x More Energy Than Standard Searches|url=https://sustainabilitymag.com/news/google-ai-search-uses-10x-more-energy-than-standard-searches|url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/LVCis |archive-date=2026-06-11 |access-date=11 Jun 2026 |website=Sustainability Magazine}}</ref> | ||
*Reduction of human traffic on sites as users are no longer needing to head over links to search information, damaging site publishers as a consequence. | *Reduction of human traffic on sites as users are no longer needing to head over links to search information, damaging site publishers as a consequence. | ||
*Privacy concerns.{{Citation needed|date=25 May 2026}} | *Privacy concerns.{{Citation needed|date=25 May 2026}} | ||
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In May 2023, Google announced Search Generative Experience (SGE) for Google Search. AI Overview was released in May 2024 in the U.S.A. as an AI-powered feature that appears at the top of search results, showing an AI-generated summary of the search query. | In May 2023, Google announced Search Generative Experience (SGE) for Google Search. AI Overview was released in May 2024 in the U.S.A. as an AI-powered feature that appears at the top of search results, showing an AI-generated summary of the search query. | ||
It has been criticized for giving false information due to hallucinations that even devolved into suggesting performing harmful activities.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McMahon|first=Lov |last2=Kleinman |first2=Zoe |date=24 May 2024 |title=Glue pizza and eat rocks: Google AI search errors go viral |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd11gzejgz4o |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241008234240/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd11gzejgz4o |archive-date=2024-10-08|access-date=25 May 2026 |website=BBC}}</ref> | It has been criticized for giving false information due to hallucinations that even devolved into suggesting performing harmful activities, such as eating rocks or adding glue to pizza.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McMahon|first=Lov |last2=Kleinman |first2=Zoe |date=24 May 2024 |title=Glue pizza and eat rocks: Google AI search errors go viral |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd11gzejgz4o |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241008234240/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd11gzejgz4o |archive-date=2024-10-08|access-date=25 May 2026 |website=BBC}}</ref> | ||
Overview hallucinations have also given false claims that have generated controversies, with some cases ending in lawsuits, such as Wolf River Electric suing Google in June 2025 for false AI Overview claims that alleged the company faced a lawsuit from Ellison for deceptive practices.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Martin |first=Emmy |date=13 Jun 2025 |title=Minnesota Solar Company Sues Google Over AI Summary |url=https://www.govtech.com/public-safety/minnesota-solar-company-sues-google-over-ai-summary |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251130025033/https://www.govtech.com/public-safety/minnesota-solar-company-sues-google-over-ai-summary |archive-date=30 November 2025 |access-date=25 May 2026 |website=Government Technology}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=LTL LED, LLC, D/B/A Wolf River Electric VS Google LLC |url=https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mnd.225722/gov.uscourts.mnd.225722.1.1.pdf |url-status=live |website=Court Listener |author=State of Minnesota, County of Ramsey |date=6 Sep 2025}}</ref> There have been also cases of site owners suing Google for copyright infringements and antitrust practices.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Meek |first=Andy |date=14 Sep 2025 |title=Why Rolling Stone Owner Penske Media Just Declared War On Google |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/andymeek/2025/09/14/why-rolling-stone-owner-penske-media-just-declared-war-on-google/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260525204725/https://www.forbes.com/sites/andymeek/2025/09/14/why-rolling-stone-owner-penske-media-just-declared-war-on-google/ |archive-date=25 May 2026 |access-date=25 May 2026 |website=Forbes}}</ref> In June 2026, a German court made Google liable for false information and biases in the AI Overview answers. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Bastian |first=Matthias |date=11 Jun 2026 |title=Landmark German ruling declares Google's AI Overviews are Google's own words and makes it liable for false answers |url=https://the-decoder.com/landmark-german-ruling-declares-googles-ai-overviews-are-googles-own-words-and-makes-it-liable-for-false-answers/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260611211438/https://the-decoder.com/landmark-german-ruling-declares-googles-ai-overviews-are-googles-own-words-and-makes-it-liable-for-false-answers/ |archive-date=2026-06-11 |access-date=11 Jun 2026 |website=The Decoder}}</ref> | |||
On June 26, 2026, Louis Rossmann uploaded a video on YouTube showing how the AI Overview generates false claims of him having sponsorships with Ground News.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rossmann |first=Louis |title=Google search lies by default: this is worse than useless... |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3E8OkebOqo |website=[[YouTube]] |date=26 Jun 2026 |access-date=26 Jun 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=u3E8OkebOqo |archive-date=27 Jun 2026}}</ref> | |||
There's no official method to completely disable AI Overview from search results. However, adding <code>-ai</code> at the end of search queries prevents the AI Overview to appear.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stimac|first=Blake |date=20 Apr 2026 |title=How to Tell Google's AI Features to Leave You Alone, Once and for All |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/how-to-tell-googles-ai-features-to-leave-you-alone-once-and-for-all/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260524051148/https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/how-to-tell-googles-ai-features-to-leave-you-alone-once-and-for-all/ |archive-date=2026-05-24 |access-date=25 May 2026 |website=CNet}}</ref> Other workarounds to disable AI overviews include searching under the Web category or adding <code>?udm=14&q</code> in the search link, after <code>https://www.google.com/search</code>and before the query name. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Cohen |first=Jason |date=20 May 2026 |title=Google’s AI Overviews Don't Have an Off Switch. 4 Tricks to Return to Traditional Web Results |url=https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/googles-ai-overviews-dont-have-off-switch-4-tricks-to-turn-them-off |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260527193918/https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/googles-ai-overviews-dont-have-off-switch-4-tricks-to-turn-them-off |archive-date=2026-05-27 |access-date=2 Jun 2026 |website=PCMag}}</ref> | There's no official method to completely disable AI Overview from search results. However, adding <code>-ai</code> at the end of search queries prevents the AI Overview to appear.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stimac|first=Blake |date=20 Apr 2026 |title=How to Tell Google's AI Features to Leave You Alone, Once and for All |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/how-to-tell-googles-ai-features-to-leave-you-alone-once-and-for-all/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260524051148/https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/how-to-tell-googles-ai-features-to-leave-you-alone-once-and-for-all/ |archive-date=2026-05-24 |access-date=25 May 2026 |website=CNet}}</ref> Other workarounds to disable AI overviews include searching under the Web category or adding <code>?udm=14&q</code> in the search link, after <code>https://www.google.com/search</code>and before the query name. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Cohen |first=Jason |date=20 May 2026 |title=Google’s AI Overviews Don't Have an Off Switch. 4 Tricks to Return to Traditional Web Results |url=https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/googles-ai-overviews-dont-have-off-switch-4-tricks-to-turn-them-off |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260527193918/https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/googles-ai-overviews-dont-have-off-switch-4-tricks-to-turn-them-off |archive-date=2026-05-27 |access-date=2 Jun 2026 |website=PCMag}}</ref> | ||