Editing Google Search (section)

=== AI Overviews ===
{{Main|AI Overviews}}
At the 2023 [[Google I/O]] event in May, Google unveiled Search Generative Experience (SGE), an experimental feature in Google Search available through [[Google Labs]] which produces [[AI-generated]] summaries in response to search prompts.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pierce |first=David |date=May 10, 2023 |title=The AI takeover of Google Search starts now |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/10/23717120/google-search-ai-results-generated-experience-io |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230510175211/https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/10/23717120/google-search-ai-results-generated-experience-io |archive-date=May 10, 2023 |access-date=September 12, 2023 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref> This was part of Google's wider efforts to counter the unprecedented rise of generative AI technology, ushered by [[OpenAI]]'s launch of [[ChatGPT]], which sent Google executives to a panic due to its potential threat to Google Search.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Levy |first=Steven |author-link=Steven Levy |date=September 11, 2023 |title=Sundar Pichai on Google;s AI, Microsoft's AI, OpenAI, and ... Did We Mention AI? |url=https://www.wired.com/story/sundar-pichai-google-ai-microsoft-openai/ |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230911124432/https://www.wired.com/story/sundar-pichai-google-ai-microsoft-openai/ |archive-date=September 11, 2023 |access-date=September 12, 2023 |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]}}</ref> Google added the ability to generate images in October.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Peters |first=Jay |date=October 12, 2023 |title=Google's AI-powered search experience can now generate images |url=https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/12/23913337/google-ai-powered-search-sge-images-written-drafts |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231012160056/https://www.theverge.com/2023/10/12/23913337/google-ai-powered-search-sge-images-written-drafts |archive-date=October 12, 2023 |access-date=October 15, 2023 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref> At I/O in 2024, the feature was upgraded and renamed AI Overviews.<ref name="VergeOverviews">{{Cite web |last=Pierce |first=David |date=May 14, 2024 |title=Google is redesigning its search engine — and it's AI all the way down |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240514204340/https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/14/24155321/google-search-ai-results-page-gemini-overview |url=https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/14/24155321/google-search-ai-results-page-gemini-overview |archive-date=May 14, 2024 |access-date=May 14, 2024 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref>

[[File:AI Overviews result for "cheese not sticking to pizza", May 24, 2024.jpg|thumb|alt="cheese not sticking to pizza"|Early AI Overview response to the problem of "cheese not sticking to pizza"]]

AI Overviews was rolled out to users in the United States in May 2024.<ref name="VergeOverviews"/> The feature faced public criticism in the first weeks of its rollout after errors from the tool went viral online. These included results suggesting users add glue to pizza or eat rocks,<ref name="BBCMcMahon">{{cite web |last1=McMahon |first1=Liv |last2=Kleinman |first2=Zoe |title=Glue pizza and eat rocks: Google AI search errors go viral |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd11gzejgz4o |website=BBC |date=25 May 2024}}</ref> or incorrectly claiming [[Barack Obama]] is Muslim.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Field |first1=Hayden |title=Google criticized as AI Overview makes obvious errors, such as saying former President Obama is Muslim |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/24/google-criticized-as-ai-overview-makes-errors-like-saying-president-obama-is-muslim.html |website=CNBC |date=24 May 2024}}</ref> Google described these viral errors as "isolated examples", maintaining that most AI Overviews provide accurate information.<ref name="BBCMcMahon" /><ref>{{cite web |last1=Grant |first1=Nico |title=Google's A.I. Search Errors Cause a Furor Online |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/24/technology/google-ai-overview-search.html |website=New York Times |date=24 May 2024}}</ref> Two weeks after the rollout of AI Overviews, Google made technical changes and scaled back the feature, pausing its use for some health-related queries and limiting its reliance on social media posts.<ref>{{Cite news |last=De Vynck |first=Gerrit |date=May 30, 2024 |title=Google scales back AI search answers after it told users to eat glue |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/05/30/google-halt-ai-search/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240531233519/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/05/30/google-halt-ai-search/ |archive-date=May 31, 2024 |access-date=May 31, 2024 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> ''[[Scientific American]]'' has criticised the system on environmental grounds, as such a search uses 30 times more energy than a conventional one.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Parshall |first1=Allison |title=What Do Google's AI Answers Cost the Environment? |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-do-googles-ai-answers-cost-the-environment/ |website=Scientific American |language=en}}</ref> It has also been criticized for condensing information from various sources, making it less likely for people to view full articles and websites. When it was announced in May 2024, Danielle Coffey, CEO of the News/Media Alliance was quoted as saying "This will be catastrophic to our traffic, as marketed by Google to further satisfy user queries, leaving even less incentive to click through so that we can monetize our content."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Darcy |first=Oliver |date=2024-05-15 |title=News publishers sound alarm on Google's new AI-infused search, warn of 'catastrophic' impacts {{!}} CNN Business |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/15/media/google-gemini-ai-search-news-outlet-impact/index.html |access-date=2024-11-03 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref>

In August 2024, AI Overviews were rolled out in the UK, India, Japan, Indonesia, Mexico and Brazil, with local language support.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mauran |first=Cecily |date=2024-08-15 |title=The new Google AI Overview layout is a small win for publishers |url=https://mashable.com/article/new-google-ai-overview-format-ease-publisher-concerns |access-date=2024-11-03 |website=Mashable |language=en}}</ref> On October 28, 2024, AI Overviews was rolled out to 100 more countries, including Australia and New Zealand.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yeo |first=Amanda |date=2024-10-28 |title=Google's AI Overview is rolling out worldwide |url=https://mashable.com/article/google-ai-overview-launch-worldwide-global |access-date=2024-11-03 |website=Mashable |language=en}}</ref>