'I miss old Google': readers tell us how they search the internet in the age of AI
A feature called AI Overviews has been a profound change, and the browsing habits of billions of people are shifting
TL;DR
- Google has integrated AI Overviews into its search results, presenting AI chatbot summaries before traditional links.
- This change is significantly impacting user browsing habits and website traffic.
- Some users find AI Overviews improve search efficiency and provide deeper understanding.
- Others criticize AI Overviews for obscuring sources, reducing traffic to websites, and potentially making up information.
- Several media companies are suing Google, alleging reduced revenue due to decreased traffic from AI summaries.
- Google maintains that aggregate traffic has been stable and refutes claims of decline.
- Some users have resorted to disabling AI Overviews or switching to alternative search engines like Duck Duck Go, Ecosia, or using Wikipedia directly.