Google launch experimental AI-only search engine beta
Last week Google unveiled an experimental AI-only search engine, “AI Mode”, replacing traditional "blue links" with exclusively AI-generated summaries. This feature is currently available to subscribers of Google One AI Premium, a paid subscription service. Users of One AI Premium can access new "AI Mode" alongside existing options like Images and Maps.
In AI Mode, the conventional list of hyperlinks is replaced by a comprehensive AI summary, which includes hyperlinks to cited webpages and a search bar for follow-up questions. This mode is powered by Google’s Gemini AI model, with the move aiming to boost Google's competitive edge amidst challenges from AI-centric companies like ChatGPT.
However, this shift has raised concerns among publishers, amid many recent reports about drop-offs in organic CTRs coinciding with Google’s algorithm updates. US Publisher Chegg filed a lawsuit against Google in February 2025, alleging that AI-generated overviews diminish demand for original content and reduce website traffic for publishers.
Despite, or perhaps driven by, their heavy emphasis on AI answers of late, Google continues to dominate search. A recent US study published on Searchengineland estimated Google search usage is 373x bigger than ChatGPT. Even if all of ChatGPT’s 1 billion answers per day were search-related, their share of the search market would remain below 1%.
Google continue to invest heavily in Gemini, with more new deep research features launched 13th March. From Google’s press release “Gemini now shows its thoughts while it browses the web, giving you a real-time look into how it’s going about solving your research task. By pairing Deep Research with this new model, we expect the quality of reports to keep getting even better.”
For advertisers, Google's AI-only search engine presents both opportunities and challenges. The integration of AI-generated summaries could enhance user experience by providing concise, relevant information, potentially increasing engagement. However, the reduction in traditional link-based search results may impact organic traffic to websites, necessitating adaptations in SEO strategies. Marketers should monitor these developments closely, exploring innovative ways to ensure content visibility and accessibility within AI-driven search paradigms. For more information on what these AI search features could mean for Irish businesses, check out our AI Overviews Come to Ireland article.
Sources:
https://searchengineland.com/google-search-bigger-chatgpt-search-453142
