When can you expect your query to trigger an AI-generated summary of results? “AI overview emerges for complex queries,” said Mallory De Leon, a Google spokesperson. “You’ll find AI Overview in Google Search results when our systems determine that synthetic AI might be especially useful–for example, when you want to quickly understand information from multiple sources together.” In my initial tests, it seemed like the AI Overview section appeared almost randomly for queries, and the summary section appeared for simple questions as well as more complex questions.
According to De Leon, AI Overview is powered by a custom version of Google’s Gemini model added aspects of the company’s Search system, such as Knowledge graph there are billions of general truths.
One of my core hesitations about this feature when it is rolled out is the potential for continued giving Illusion AI, commonly known as a lie. When you interact with Google’s Gemini chatbot, the disclaimer at the bottom reads: “Gemini may display inaccurate information, including information about people, so double check its response”. No such disclaimer is added at the end of the AI Overview section, which usually simply says “Generative AI is experimental.”
When asked why there was no mention of potential illusions in the AI Overview, De Leon emphasized that Google still wants to provide high-quality search results and mentioned that the company has done so. opposing red team test to uncover potential weaknesses for this feature.
“This general AI implementation is rooted in Search’s core quality and safety systems, with built-in protections to prevent low-quality or harmful information from appearing,” she said. “AI Overview is designed to highlight information that can be easily verified with the supporting information we provide.”
Knowing this, you may still want to click through to website links to double check that the information is actually accurate. Although it’s hard to imagine many users, who are often looking for quick answers, will spend extra time reading the source material for Google’s AI-generated answers.
Liz Reid, head of Google Search, recently told my colleague AI Overview is expected to come to countries outside the US before the end of 2024, so more than a billion people could soon experience the new feature, says Lauren Goode. As someone whose job depends on readers actually clicking on links and taking the time to read articles, I am of course very concerned about this change—and I’m not alone.
Beyond concerns from publishers, it’s unclear what additional impacts Google’s AI Overview might have on users. Yes, OpenAI ChatGPT and other AI tools are popular in Silicon Valley tech circles, but this feature will likely elude billions of people who have never used it before. chatbot previously, into AI-generated text. While AI Overviews are designed to save you time, they may lead to less reliable results.
