Google Search: Difference between revisions
→Incidents: AI Overview, AI mode and additional AI features moved under a section named "Integration of AI features onto the search engine" |
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===Presence of malicious websites on search results=== | ===Presence of malicious websites on search results=== | ||
===AI Overview (2023)=== | ===Integration of AI features onto the search engine=== | ||
Since 2023, along with the boom and pushs 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 aspects such as the inability to turn these AI features off, [[wikipedia:Hallucination_(artificial_intelligence)|hallucinations]] provided by the AI that give false information to the user, the high resource consumption and environmental impact, encouragement to users to avoid visiting web sites to get the information they need, potential information control and result biases, and privacy concerns.{{Citation needed|date=25 May 2026}} | |||
====AI Overview (2023)==== | |||
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 | 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> | ||
The implementation of this feature has ended in some cases involving lawsuits due to the misinformation provided by hallucinations<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|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> and site owners suing Google for copyright infringements and antitrust practices.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Meen|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 |access-date=25 May 2026 |website=Forbes}}</ref> | The implementation of this feature has ended in some cases involving lawsuits due to the misinformation provided by hallucinations<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|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> and site owners suing Google for copyright infringements and antitrust practices.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Meen|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 |access-date=25 May 2026 |website=Forbes}}</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> | 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> | ||
AI | |||
====AI Mode (2025)==== | |||
AI mode is a feature introduced for Google Search in 2025 as an alternative form to search information on the web. It presents a chat-like interface in where the user is able to send messages to a chatbot to search the web and find the content that might be relevant for them. Like AI overview, there's no official way to disable this feature. | |||
In 2026, Google will introduce integrated ads into AI overview and AI mode. These ads might appear in the conversations with Google's AIs with a similar appearence to a regular answer, but they contain a small "sponsored" tag at the top of the reply, something that might be hard do identify at first glance. This form of integration has raised privacy and concerns about the potential usage of AI for manipulation and potential integrations that might make nearly impossible to differentiate between content that is and isn't an ad. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Hawkins|first=Josh|date=21 May 2026|title=Google's new AI search ads are designed to look like helpful answers |url=https://www.makeuseof.com/googles-new-ai-search-will-have-ads-hidden-in-your-answers/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260522223816/https://www.makeuseof.com/googles-new-ai-search-will-have-ads-hidden-in-your-answers/ |archive-date=2026-05-22 |access-date=22 May 2026 |website=Make Use Of}}</ref> | In 2026, Google will introduce integrated ads into AI overview and AI mode. These ads might appear in the conversations with Google's AIs with a similar appearence to a regular answer, but they contain a small "sponsored" tag at the top of the reply, something that might be hard do identify at first glance. This form of integration has raised privacy and concerns about the potential usage of AI for manipulation and potential integrations that might make nearly impossible to differentiate between content that is and isn't an ad. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Hawkins|first=Josh|date=21 May 2026|title=Google's new AI search ads are designed to look like helpful answers |url=https://www.makeuseof.com/googles-new-ai-search-will-have-ads-hidden-in-your-answers/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260522223816/https://www.makeuseof.com/googles-new-ai-search-will-have-ads-hidden-in-your-answers/ |archive-date=2026-05-22 |access-date=22 May 2026 |website=Make Use Of}}</ref> | ||
===Additional AI integrations | ====Additional AI integrations and pushes for AI Mode (2026)==== | ||
On May 19th, 2026, during the Google I/O were announced additional AI integrations for the search engine. These integrations involve modifications of the Search box and integration of [[Google Gemini]] Flash 3.5, predictive algorithms and the integration of "Search Agents", customizable AI agents dedicated to operate and search in user's behalf.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reid|first=Elizabeth |date=19 May 2026 |title=A new era for AI Search |url=https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/search/search-io-2026/#powerful-ai |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260519181835/https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/search/search-io-2026/#powerful-ai |archive-date=2026-05-19 |access-date=21 May 2026 |website=Google Blog}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Yildrim |first=Ece |date=19 May 2026 |title=Google Search Is Dead. Welcome to the Era of the ‘Intelligent Search Box’ |url=https://gizmodo.com/google-search-is-dead-welcome-to-the-era-of-the-intelligent-search-box-2000760626 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260519204100/https://gizmodo.com/google-search-is-dead-welcome-to-the-era-of-the-intelligent-search-box-2000760626 |archive-date=2026-05-19 |access-date=21 May 2026 |website=Gizmodo}}</ref> | On May 19th, 2026, during the Google I/O were announced additional AI integrations for the search engine. These integrations involve modifications of the Search box and integration of [[Google Gemini]] Flash 3.5, predictive algorithms and the integration of "Search Agents", customizable AI agents dedicated to operate and search in user's behalf.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reid|first=Elizabeth |date=19 May 2026 |title=A new era for AI Search |url=https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/search/search-io-2026/#powerful-ai |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260519181835/https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/search/search-io-2026/#powerful-ai |archive-date=2026-05-19 |access-date=21 May 2026 |website=Google Blog}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Yildrim |first=Ece |date=19 May 2026 |title=Google Search Is Dead. Welcome to the Era of the ‘Intelligent Search Box’ |url=https://gizmodo.com/google-search-is-dead-welcome-to-the-era-of-the-intelligent-search-box-2000760626 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260519204100/https://gizmodo.com/google-search-is-dead-welcome-to-the-era-of-the-intelligent-search-box-2000760626 |archive-date=2026-05-19 |access-date=21 May 2026 |website=Gizmodo}}</ref> | ||
During that day, Google modified its UI, moving the "Web" tab, locating it under the "More" tab. This a [[dark pattern]] made as an attempt to encourage users to use the AI features such as Overview and prevent them to use workarounds.{{Citation needed}} | |||
<!-- If you have or have found screenshots of the former search engine and the new UI modifications please add them under this section--> | |||
The users' backlash over Google's search engine have increased the installations and visits to other alternative engines that allow to opt-out from AI features or are completely free of them, such as [[Brave|Brave Search]], [[DuckDuckGo]], [[Yahoo]] or [[Bing]]. According to DuckDuckGo, during May 20 and May 25, app installs in the US rose by 18.1%, with installs peaking at 30.5% during May 25.<ref>{{Cite web |publisher=Tech Desk |date=1 Jun 2026 |title=DuckDuckGo installs jump 30% amid backlash over Google AI Search |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/duckduckgo-installs-jump-30-amid-backlash-over-google-ai-search-10715761/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260602052445/https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/duckduckgo-installs-jump-30-amid-backlash-over-google-ai-search-10715761/ |archive-date=2026-06-02|access-date=2 Jun 2026 |website=Indian Express}}</ref> | The users' backlash over Google's search engine have increased the installations and visits to other alternative engines that allow to opt-out from AI features or are completely free of them, such as [[Brave|Brave Search]], [[DuckDuckGo]], [[Yahoo]] or [[Bing]]. According to DuckDuckGo, during May 20 and May 25, app installs in the US rose by 18.1%, with installs peaking at 30.5% during May 25.<ref>{{Cite web |publisher=Tech Desk |date=1 Jun 2026 |title=DuckDuckGo installs jump 30% amid backlash over Google AI Search |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/duckduckgo-installs-jump-30-amid-backlash-over-google-ai-search-10715761/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260602052445/https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/duckduckgo-installs-jump-30-amid-backlash-over-google-ai-search-10715761/ |archive-date=2026-06-02|access-date=2 Jun 2026 |website=Indian Express}}</ref> | ||
==Lawsuit== | ==Lawsuit== | ||