Over the past month, Google has been actively explaining and refining its AI Overviews feature, which initially faced some challenges.
You might have heard about the incorrect and occasionally risky answers it has provided. A study reveals that the presence of AI Overviews in search results has plummeted from 84% to 15%, likely due to user feedback and initial errors.
As expected, many questions have arisen about this feature, with the most common being, “How do you turn it off?”
The straightforward answer: You can’t.
However, you can apply the Web filter to turn off everything except the traditional ten blue links (and the Ads), which might be a preference for some users.
To address these inquiries, Google has published a comprehensive FAQ on the AI Overviews feature. Here are the key points we’ve gathered:
- Can’t Be Turned Off: The “AI Overviews and more” experiment in Search Labs doesn’t disable all AI Overviews in Search. They are a feature similar to knowledge panels and cannot be turned off.
- Not Always Accurate: For more details, click here.
- Limited Access: Currently available only in the US in English. If you’re outside the U.S. or using another language, you need to opt into “AI Overviews and more” in Search Labs.
- Search Labs Availability: Check where Search Labs is available by clicking here.
- To Remove AI Overviews: After performing a search, select the Web filter. This will display only text-based links without features like AI Overviews. For more information, click here.
We hope this overview helps clarify the current status and options for Google’s AI Overviews feature.