AI Overviews
{{Short description|AI-generated summaries of Google Search results}}
{{More citations needed|date=March 2025}}
AI Overviews is a feature integrated into Google's search engine that produces AI-generated summaries of the search results.
History and development
AI Overviews were first introduced as part of Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE), which was unveiled at the Google I/O conference in May 2023.{{Cite web |last=Hughes |first=Owen |date=2024-08-15 |title=What Is Google's AI Overviews? |url=https://www.techrepublic.com/article/google-ai-overviews/ |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=TechRepublic |language=en-US}} In May 2024, the feature was rebranded as AI Overviews and launched in the United States. The introduction of AI Overviews was seen as a strategic move to compete with other generative AI advancements, including OpenAI's ChatGPT.{{Cite web |date=2024-05-14 |title=Generative AI in Search: Let Google do the searching for you |url=https://blog.google/products/search/generative-ai-google-search-may-2024/ |access-date=2025-01-09 |website=Google |language=en-us}}
By August 2024, AI Overviews were rolled out to several other countries, including the United Kingdom, India, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, and Indonesia, with support for multiple languages.{{Cite web |date=2024-08-15 |title=New ways to connect to the web with AI Overviews |url=https://blog.google/products/search/new-ways-to-connect-to-the-web-with-ai-overviews/ |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=Google |language=en-us}} In October 2024, Google expanded the feature globally, making it available in over 100 countries.{{Cite web |date=2024-10-28 |title=AI Overviews in Search are coming to more places around the world |url=https://blog.google/products/search/ai-overviews-search-october-2024/ |access-date=2025-01-09 |website=Google |language=en-us}}
On February 24, 2025, Chegg sued Alphabet over the AI Overviews feature, claiming that it was leading to students preferring "low-quality, unverified AI summaries", thus violating antitrust law.{{Cite news |last=Godoy |first=Jody |date=25 February 2025 |title=Google's AI previews erode the internet, US edtech company says in lawsuit |url=https://www.reuters.com/legal/googles-ai-previews-erode-internet-edtech-company-says-lawsuit-2025-02-24/ |work=Reuters}} Chegg also said it was considering either a sale or a take-private transaction.
In March 2025, Google started testing an "AI Mode", where all of the content is AI-generated.{{Cite web |last=Whitwam |first=Ryan |date=2025-03-05 |title=You knew it was coming: Google begins testing AI-only search results |url=https://arstechnica.com/google/2025/03/google-is-expanding-ai-overviews-and-testing-ai-only-search-results/ |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-US}} The company was also considering adding ads to the AI Mode, as they already exist in AI Overviews.{{Cite web |last=Barnett |first=Kendra |date=2025-03-06 |title=Google Will Consider Introducing Ads to New 'AI Mode' |url=https://www.adweek.com/media/google-will-explore-ads-in-ai-mode-taking-cues-from-ads-in-ai-overviews/ |access-date=2025-03-19 |language=en-US}}
Functionality
The AI Overviews feature uses advanced machine learning algorithms to generate summaries based on diverse web content. The overviews are designed to be concise, providing a snapshot of relevant information on the queried topic. To enhance user interaction, Google allows users to adjust the complexity of the language in the summaries, offering both simplified and detailed options.{{Cite web |last=Schwartz |first=Barry |date=2024-05-15 |title=Google rolls out AI Overviews for more complex searches |url=https://martech.org/google-rolls-out-ai-overviews-for-more-complex-searches/ |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=MarTech |language=en}}
The feature also includes prominent links to source content, ensuring that users can access more in-depth information directly from authoritative websites.
As of October 2024, Google has implemented in-line links within AI Overviews, allowing users to directly access source content within the generated summaries, enhancing user engagement with authoritative sources.{{Cite web |date=2024-08-15 |title=New ways to connect to the web with AI Overviews |url=https://blog.google/products/search/new-ways-to-connect-to-the-web-with-ai-overviews/ |access-date=2025-04-19 |website=Google |language=en-us}}
Reception
AI Overviews received mixed feedback upon its introduction. Many users appreciated the convenience of obtaining immediate and relevant information without navigating through multiple search results. However, early iterations of the feature faced criticism for inaccuracies, including instances where erroneous or nonsensical content was generated. Google addressed these issues by improving content validation and refining the algorithms used to filter unreliable information.{{Cite magazine |last=Rogers |first=Reece |title=Google Admits Its AI Overviews Search Feature Screwed Up |url=https://www.wired.com/story/google-ai-overview-search-issues/ |access-date=2025-01-09 |magazine=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028}}
Concerns were also raised by content publishers, who feared a decline in web traffic as users relied on the summaries instead of visiting source websites.{{Cite news |last1=Grant |first1=Nico |last2=Robertson |first2=Katie |date=2024-06-01 |title=Google's A.I. Search Leaves Publishers Scrambling |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/01/technology/google-ai-search-publishers.html |access-date=2025-01-09 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} In response, Google implemented measures to prioritize link placement within AI Overviews, aiming to balance user convenience with the needs of content creators.
Criticism and challenges
File:AI Overviews result for "cheese not sticking to pizza", May 24, 2024.jpg
Despite its potential, the feature has faced ongoing scrutiny. Critics argue that relying on AI-generated summaries may perpetuate inaccuracies or oversimplify complex topics. Furthermore, there is apprehension about the ethical implications of AI-driven content aggregation, including its impact on intellectual property rights and the visibility of smaller content providers.
Google has stated its commitment to addressing these challenges by continuously refining the system and engaging with stakeholders to ensure a balanced and accurate search ecosystem.
Furthermore, Google had to restrict the AI tool temporarily after it provided nonsensical and harmful suggestions, such as telling users to eat rocks or apply glue on pizza. This highlighted ongoing challenges in ensuring the reliability and safety of AI-generated content, prompting further revisions to the tool's capabilities.{{Cite web |last=Hart |first=Robert |title=Google Restricts AI Search Tool After 'Nonsensical' Answers Told People To Eat Rocks And Put Glue On Pizza |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2024/05/31/google-restricts-ai-search-tool-after-nonsensical-answers-told-people-to-eat-rocks-and-put-glue-on-pizza/ |access-date=2025-01-09 |website=Forbes |language=en}}