Google is making the biggest change to its search engine in 25 years. The old way of showing a list of ten blue links is over. Now, Google will use artificial intelligence (AI) to give users answers, not just websites.
The search box is now “intelligent.” It can understand long, natural questions as if users were talking to a friend. Users don’t have to choose a special mode. The box just expands and helps users to ask better questions.
Instead of a list of links, users will sometimes see: Interactive pictures and tools, custom widgets made just for users’ questions, and AI-powered summaries that users can ask follow-up questions about.
These are AI helpers that work for every user 24/7 in the background. Users can tell an agent to watch for specific changes on the web (like stock prices or news). The agent will track those changes and alert every user when something important happens. It’s like a super-smart version of Google Alerts from 2003.
Yes, users will be able to build their own things inside Google Search soon. Also, users will be able to build “mini apps” directly inside Google Search using simple words. For example, users could build a meal planner that looks at their calendar or a fitness app made just for their goals. Users won’t need to know how to code.
Google wants to keep users inside its search page longer. It also wants to help users to take action, not just find information. Instead of users clicking many links, AI agents will do the searching for them on their behalf.
This is bad news for many websites. If Google gives users the answer right away, users won’t click through to other sites. Many publishers already lost visitors because of Google’s AI summaries. With the new changes, things will get even harder for them. Some ad-dependent websites may go out of business.
This week, there will be a new intelligent search box arriving.
Also from this summer, interactive visuals and generative UI arrive. The new system will be free for everyone. In addition, coming this summer (first for paying users): mini-app building and information agents will roll out to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers first.
And later, Google plans to make most AI features, including the personal AI agent called Spark, free for everyone.
AI Overviews: more than 2.5 billion users every month. With the conversational search (AI Mode), more than 1 billion users search every month. (By comparison, ChatGPT has 900 million weekly users.)
The bottom line is searching the web will no longer be about typing a few words and clicking links. It will be about talking to AI, getting instant answers, building mini tools, and having agents work for you. This is a whole new way to use the internet. But it also means many websites may struggle to survive.