conv.

All stories
AIActive · 14h

Guardian readers split on AI Overviews: faster answers or vanishing web links?

Google's AI Overviews have transformed search, but the feature is fracturing user experience and media revenue as people navigate less beyond Google itself.

newest coverage 4h agosummary written 2h ago5 pieces NewswiresMastodonGoogle News

What to know

  • Google's AI Overviews place AI-generated summaries front and center in search results, fundamentally changing how users navigate information online.
  • Many users report the feature delivers faster, more informative answers, but academic studies show reduced click-through to external websites, harming publisher revenue.
  • Large US media companies are suing Google over the traffic impact; Google disputes the claims and says aggregate traffic remains stable.
  • The feature has divided users and sparked nostalgia for the traditional link-based Google—some appreciate depth and speed, others lament the decline of web traffic discovery.

The dispute Whether reduced click-through to external websites constitutes meaningful harm: users and publishers see declining traffic and lost revenue; Google insists aggregate traffic remains stable and methodologies behind lawsuits are flawed. · positions read across 1 posts and comments

most voices

AI Overviews have improved Google by delivering faster, more informative answers without requiring users to click through multiple websites.

  • “AI has made Google better. I use AI mode for all my searches.”

    Jose Garcia Jr · The Guardian ↗
some voices

AI Overviews are unreliable and have diminished the traditional web-browsing experience; users should be able to opt out or filter results.

  • “I am happy to have the AI lead me to an answer but the mega caution is that Google AI or any of them are not at all trustworthy. I have had it admit that it was lying to me and apologise!”

    Sionn Achog · The Guardian ↗

“It's made Google search much better, I find that I rarely actually click on the website links any more. I find information I want much faster and have a deeper understanding of any topic as I can ask questions about it and drill into the areas I'm interested in.”

Mark Johnson, Software engineer, 52, London · The Guardian ↗

Liz Reid Google VP of SearchGoogle Search platform operator

Guardian readers split on AI Overviews: faster answers or vanishing web links?
theguardian.com

How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts

Peak 2 pieces in one half hour at Yesterday, 3 PM; 5 pieces over 15 hours (2 articles · 3 posts) Yesterday, 3:10 PM — quietYesterday, 3:40 PM — 2 pieces · 2 articles — Google News 1, Newswires 1Yesterday, 4:10 PM — quietYesterday, 4:40 PM — quietYesterday, 5:10 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Yesterday, 5:40 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Yesterday, 6:10 PM — quietYesterday, 6:40 PM — quietYesterday, 7:10 PM — quietYesterday, 7:40 PM — quietYesterday, 8:10 PM — quietYesterday, 8:40 PM — quietYesterday, 9:10 PM — quietYesterday, 9:40 PM — quietYesterday, 10:10 PM — quietYesterday, 10:40 PM — quietYesterday, 11:10 PM — quietYesterday, 11:40 PM — quietToday, 12:10 AM — quietToday, 12:40 AM — quietToday, 1:10 AM — quietToday, 1:40 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Today, 2:10 AM — quietToday, 2:40 AM — quietToday, 3:10 AM — quietToday, 3:40 AM — quietToday, 4:10 AM — quietToday, 4:40 AM — quietToday, 5:10 AM — quietToday, 5:40 AM — quiet 1
4 PM8 PMtoday4 AMnow · 6:10 AM ET
  1. 1

    Guardian publishes reader survey on AI Overviews impact

    The Guardian solicited user feedback on how AI Overviews have changed their search habits and perceived quality. The survey revealed sharp generational and preferential divides: readers reported spending more time on Google.com and clicking through to external websites far less frequently, even when AI summaries cite those sources.

    “AI is driving the most significant upgrade of the Google Search experience ever…”
    — Liz Reid, Google VP of Search · source
    • purengom@mastodon.social

      구글의 AI 오버뷰 기능에 대한 가디언 독자들의 의견입니다. 특별한 건 없고요. 수확이 있다면 ‘-AI’ 연산자가 있다는 걸 알게 됐다는 정도입니다. https://www. theguardian.com/technology/202 6/sep/23/google-readers-respond-ai-overview-internet-searches

      purengom@mastodon.socialMastodon12h agoview on Mastodon ↗
  2. background

    Google signals more AI integration coming to search — The company announced plans to deepen AI integration within its search platform.

  3. background

    Google VP Reid announces AI Overviews as 'most significant upgrade' to Search — Liz Reid, Google's vice-president of search, publicly framed the AI Overviews feature as a landmark transformation of the search experience.

Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet

  1. 2 outlets ‘I miss old Google’: readers tell us how they search the internet in the age of AI

    first by The Guardian, 14h ago · also Guardian Tech

What people are saying 0 voices from 0 sites · best of 1 · verbatim