What Google’s New AI Search Means for You, Websites, and the Internet
Google is changing the way we search online. Instead of giving you a list of websites to choose from, Google now shows AI-generated answers at the top of the search page. It is fast, convenient, and feels a bit like chatting with a smart assistant.
But many people, especially website owners, writers, and news publishers are getting worried. They say that Google’s new AI features might actually hurt the open web and the people who help make it useful.
Let us break down what is going on.
What Did Google Change?
AI Overviews
When you search for something, Google now often gives you a short AI-generated answer at the very top. You no longer need to click on a website to get the information.
AI Mode
This is a more advanced feature where you can have a full conversation with Google’s AI, kind of like ChatGPT. It gives you direct answers instead of links.
Why Are Website Owners Upset?
Websites Are Losing Visitors
News websites, recipe blogs, travel guides, and review sites are recording fewer clicks because fewer people are visiting their pages, because users are just reading the AI’s summary instead of clicking the links.
For example:
- Business Insider lost over half of its search traffic.
- Other major sites like HuffPost and The Washington Post are also seeing big drops.
This is a big deal, because many websites earn money from ads. Fewer visitors means less money and some have already started cutting jobs because of it.
Why Is This a Problem for the Web?
For many years, there was a trade-off:
- You got free information from websites.
- Google sent those websites visitors in return for letting it show short previews in search results.
But now, with AI, Google is giving full answers up front, sometimes using words directly from those websites. And users often do not click any further. That means the websites do the work, but Google gets all the credit.
Is the AI Always Right?
No! In fact, when the AI answers first started showing up, there were some big mistakes:
- It told users to put glue on pizza to keep the cheese from falling off.
- It gave medical advice that was factually wrong.
- It pulled fake answers from joke websites as if they were real.
AI is smart, but it can make things up or get confused especially if it is summarizing lots of sources too quickly.
What Might Happen Next?
Websites Could Shut Down or Go Behind Paywalls
If websites stop getting visitors and can not make money, some may disappear or start charging for access. That could mean less free information online.
The Web Could Become Less Diverse
Smaller blogs, local news sites, and niche communities might struggle the most. Without clicks or income, we might lose the unique voices and local content that make the web so rich.
More People Will Rely Only on Google’s AI
And if Google’s AI gives wrong or shallow answers, users might not even realize they are being misled because they did not visit a trusted site with real expertise.
Is Anyone Doing Anything About It?
Yes, governments and media companies are starting to take action.
- The U.S. Department of Justice is already accusing Google of having too much power in search.
- New laws in Europe and the U.S. are being discussed to make sure AI respects copyrights and shares profits fairly.
News companies want Google to pay them for using their content to train AI or include them in summaries.
What Does This Mean for You?
- If you are a reader, AI answers are fast, but do not always give the full picture. Try to click the links and explore trusted websites, especially for important topics like health, law, or news.
- If you are a content creator, you may need to focus more on building a direct audience through email newsletters, social media, or paid subscriptions.
Think about ways to partner with AI tools instead of fighting them. Some platforms may offer licensing deals.
The Big Picture
Google wants to make search better. But in doing so, it might hurt the very websites that built the internet as we know it.
Instead of helping you discover the web, Google’s AI might become the web itself. Summarizing everything, showing fewer links, and keeping you on Google longer.
That may be good for convenience but it is dangerous for independent creators, journalism, and online freedom.
End Note
The question is not just “Is Google about to destroy the web?”
The real question is: What kind of internet do we want to have in the future?
One controlled by a few tech giants or one that supports the millions of people who create, share, and keep the web alive?
