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| Google launches new 'AI mode' search feature in UK | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Google is rolling out a new tool in the UK that will generate results using artificial intelligence (AI), in a significant shake-up to the world's most popular search engine. | Google is rolling out a new tool in the UK that will generate results using artificial intelligence (AI), in a significant shake-up to the world's most popular search engine. |
| Instead of a list of search results showing links to other websites in blue type, people who choose "AI Mode" will be given an answer written in a conversational style, containing far fewer links to other pages. | Instead of a list of search results showing links to other websites in blue type, people who choose "AI Mode" will be given an answer written in a conversational style, containing far fewer links to other pages. |
| The new search tool will not replace Google's existing search platform, which processes billions of queries every day. | The new search tool will not replace Google's existing search platform, which processes billions of queries every day. |
| But experts predict such tools will increasingly incorporate AI, a shift that is concerning organisations, firms and publishers, which rely on search traffic. | But experts predict such tools will increasingly incorporate AI, a shift that is concerning organisations, firms and publishers, which rely on search traffic. |
| People are increasingly turning to AI chatbots such as ChatGPT instead of traditional search engines to find quick, simple answers to questions, even though they are not always accurate. | People are increasingly turning to AI chatbots such as ChatGPT instead of traditional search engines to find quick, simple answers to questions, even though they are not always accurate. |
| Google itself already includes a brief AI-generated "overview" in the listed results for some searches. | Google itself already includes a brief AI-generated "overview" in the listed results for some searches. |
| And the new tool, which uses Google's Gemini AI platform to generate its answers, has already been launched in the US and India. | And the new tool, which uses Google's Gemini AI platform to generate its answers, has already been launched in the US and India. |
| It is being rolled out in the UK over the next few days. | It is being rolled out in the UK over the next few days. |
| For now, AI Mode will be optional and will appear both as a tab and an option within the search box itself. | For now, AI Mode will be optional and will appear both as a tab and an option within the search box itself. |
| Complicated queries | Complicated queries |
| The tech giant said it was responding to changes in the way people use its search engine to ask more complicated questions. | The tech giant said it was responding to changes in the way people use its search engine to ask more complicated questions. |
| "About two years ago, if you spilled coffee on your carpet, you would have [searched for] 'clean carpet stain'," said Google's product manager for search, Hema Budaraju. | "About two years ago, if you spilled coffee on your carpet, you would have [searched for] 'clean carpet stain'," said Google's product manager for search, Hema Budaraju. |
| "That's how you would have probably keyworded your way through. | "That's how you would have probably keyworded your way through. |
| "Now, my query is likely to be, 'I spilled coffee on my Berber carpet, I'm looking for a cleaner that is pet friendly'." | "Now, my query is likely to be, 'I spilled coffee on my Berber carpet, I'm looking for a cleaner that is pet friendly'." |
| AI Mode has already been rolled out in the US and India | AI Mode has already been rolled out in the US and India |
| The BBC was unable to test the tool with its own questions during the demo because the tool had not yet been activated in the UK. | The BBC was unable to test the tool with its own questions during the demo because the tool had not yet been activated in the UK. |
| But Google provided a demo using the example of someone searching for suitable places to take a young family strawberry picking. | But Google provided a demo using the example of someone searching for suitable places to take a young family strawberry picking. |
| However, the answers it provided seemed to be spread over a wide geographical area. It featured a handful of links to businesses, including their locations on a map, but they came lower down in the response, compared to a traditional Google search. | However, the answers it provided seemed to be spread over a wide geographical area. It featured a handful of links to businesses, including their locations on a map, but they came lower down in the response, compared to a traditional Google search. |
| Clicking links | Clicking links |
| Businesses, from retailers to news publishers, currently rely on web traffic funnelled their way from Google's search results. Firms can pay for prime spots on the results lists, as a form of advertising. | Businesses, from retailers to news publishers, currently rely on web traffic funnelled their way from Google's search results. Firms can pay for prime spots on the results lists, as a form of advertising. |
| A shift towards AI-generated responses, containing fewer direct links, could up-end that model. | A shift towards AI-generated responses, containing fewer direct links, could up-end that model. |
| Ms Budaraju said the firm had not yet finalised how advertising revenue for AI Mode would work, or whether firms would be able to pay to be included in the response. | Ms Budaraju said the firm had not yet finalised how advertising revenue for AI Mode would work, or whether firms would be able to pay to be included in the response. |
| But it is already concerning some businesses, who say people are less likely to click through to their websites via the links contained in an AI summary. | But it is already concerning some businesses, who say people are less likely to click through to their websites via the links contained in an AI summary. |
| Ms Budaraju disagreed with this characterisation. | Ms Budaraju disagreed with this characterisation. |
| "I would say that I think people are going to use these technologies to unlock newer information-seeking journeys," she said. | "I would say that I think people are going to use these technologies to unlock newer information-seeking journeys," she said. |
| "These kind of questions didn't happen before, and now you made it really possible for people to express anything a lot more naturally." | "These kind of questions didn't happen before, and now you made it really possible for people to express anything a lot more naturally." |
| The Daily Mail claims the number of people who click its links from Google search results has fallen by around 50% on both desktop and mobile traffic since Google introduced its AI Overview feature. | The Daily Mail claims the number of people who click its links from Google search results has fallen by around 50% on both desktop and mobile traffic since Google introduced its AI Overview feature. |
| And a recent study by the Pew Research Centre suggested that people only clicked a link once in every 100 searches when there was an AI summary at the top of the page. Google argues the research methodology in that study was flawed. | And a recent study by the Pew Research Centre suggested that people only clicked a link once in every 100 searches when there was an AI summary at the top of the page. Google argues the research methodology in that study was flawed. |
| News model | News model |
| Rosa Curling, director of the campaign group Foxglove which commissioned the research, said she was concerned what the increased use of AI might mean for news organisations. | Rosa Curling, director of the campaign group Foxglove which commissioned the research, said she was concerned what the increased use of AI might mean for news organisations. |
| Although AI-generated summaries are often inaccurate, people weren't clicking through to the original news items they were based on, she said, undermining the business models of news organisations. | Although AI-generated summaries are often inaccurate, people weren't clicking through to the original news items they were based on, she said, undermining the business models of news organisations. |
| "What the AI summary now does is makes sure that the readers' eyes stay on the Google web page," she said. | "What the AI summary now does is makes sure that the readers' eyes stay on the Google web page," she said. |
| "And the advertising revenue of those news outlets is being massively impacted." | "And the advertising revenue of those news outlets is being massively impacted." |
| Google said it already generates more than two billion AI Overview boxes every day in more than 40 languages, although not in the EU, where legislation procludes it. | Google said it already generates more than two billion AI Overview boxes every day in more than 40 languages, although not in the EU, where legislation procludes it. |
| There are also significant concerns about the environmental impact of increased AI use. Running AI requires huge data centres that use a lot of power and clean water. | There are also significant concerns about the environmental impact of increased AI use. Running AI requires huge data centres that use a lot of power and clean water. |
| Ms Budaraju said Google remained committed to sustainability. | Ms Budaraju said Google remained committed to sustainability. |
| "We are constantly, as Google and as Search, evolving sustainable ways to serve technology," she said. | "We are constantly, as Google and as Search, evolving sustainable ways to serve technology," she said. |
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