Focus on accuracy? Google reduces AI Overviews in search results
What's the story
Google's AI Overviews, which utilize Gemini AI models to summarize search results, have been appearing less frequently, according to a recent analysis by SEO platform BrightEdge.
The data reveals that by the end of June, AI Overviews appeared in less than 7% of Google search queries compared to 11% at the beginning of the month.
This downward trend has been consistent since April, predating even the official announcement at Google I/O.
Targeted reduction
Steep decline in AI Overviews for specific search areas
The decrease in AI Overviews was particularly noticeable in certain areas. Education-related searches saw a drop from 26% to 13%, while entertainment-related queries fell from 14% to almost nothing.
E-commerce related AI summaries also experienced a significant reduction, going from 26% to just 9%.
This trend suggests that Google is aiming for AI Overviews to appear only when there is less likelihood of problematic answers.
Space reduction
Google balances AI content with traditional search results
The physical space that AI Overviews occupy at the top of search results has also reduced by an average of 13%.
This reduction signifies Google's attempt to balance the prominence of AI-generated content with traditional search results.
The move is possibly due to concerns about inaccuracies in AI-generated content, as it aims to ensure a more reliable user experience.
AI missteps
Decrease in AI Overviews could be attributed to backlash
The decrease in AI Overviews could be attributed to several factors, including backlash over incorrect and potentially dangerous AI-generated answers.
One such incident involved the AI suggesting that glue could improve pizza sauce adhesion, a recommendation based on a misinterpreted joke.
In response to these issues, Google CEO Sundar Pichai described the pizza sauce incident as a "regrettable error" and pledged to rectify such problems.