Last month, during their I/O conference, Google announced something huge that’s set to change how we use search engines: AI Overviews. Starting on May 14, these AI Overviews will be available to all users, showing up at the top of search results whenever Google’s systems think these AI-generated answers can quickly provide helpful information
What Are AI Overviews?
AI Overviews are summaries created by Google’s advanced AI models to directly answer your questions. These summaries pop up at the top of the search results page, aiming to give you quick answers without needing to click on multiple links. Here’s a simple breakdown of Google’s two new AI-driven response methods:
AI Overviews vs. Direct Answers
- AI Overviews: Comprehensive summaries from Google’s AI, combining info from various sources to give a quick, clear answer at the top of the search results page.
- Direct Answers: Short text snippets pulled directly from Google’s indexed web pages, usually showing up within the traditional search results, often below the AI Overview or directly under the search bar
Key Differences:
| Feature | Focus | Appearance | Functionality |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Overviews | Summarized Answer | Top of Search Results Page | Provides a concise answer using AI models from various sources |
| Direct Answers | Short Answer Snippet | Within Search Results (below AI Overview or search bar) | Extracts a relevant answer snippetfrom a webpage |
Check out the image below to see what both look like in a desktop search result for “solar panel functionality”:
As you can see, the AI answer takes up a lot of space at the top of the search results, pushing the organic results further down. Clearly, Google wants to keep users on their platform by giving them immediate answers.
What People Are Saying
Despite the benefits, many users in the Google Search Community are not happy about not being able to turn off AI Overviews. Here’s a snapshot of what people are saying:
Is There a Solution?
Google’s new “Web” filter under the “More” dropdown menu offers a partial fix. This filter lets you view the old-style search results, showing the classic 10 blue links without any extra media like images, videos, or AI features.
The Future of Search with AI
Google’s new tagline from the I/O conference, “Google wants to do the googling for you,” signals a big shift. With their Gemini AI model, search queries will be analyzed to provide direct answers at the top of the search results. While this means faster access to information, it also brings some challenges:
- For Users: Faster access to info without clicking through links.
- For Websites: Possible drop in traffic, especially for news sites.
- Concerns: Accuracy and bias in AI-generated answers, and the risk of reducing critical thinking if users don’t explore different sources.
Why It Matters
This major change in Google’s search functionality has wide-reaching effects. While it aims to improve user experience, there are valid concerns about its impact on website traffic and the overall quality of information online.