Google Rolls Out AI Mode for Search in the UK
So, Google has just introduced a new feature called AI Mode for its search engine in the UK, and it's a pretty big shift from what we're used to seeing. Traditionally, when you search on Google, you get a list of blue links to websites that might have the answer you're looking for. But with this new AI Mode, things work a bit differently. Instead of that long list of links, users are now presented with a direct answer written in a more conversational, human-like tone—kind of like what you’d get from an AI chatbot.
This feature, which uses Google's Gemini AI platform, has already been available in the US and India. Now it’s being rolled out to UK users over the next few days. If you're in the UK and you want to try it, you’ll see it as a tab or option inside the search box. The key point here is that it's optional , so traditional search isn’t going away just yet.
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Now, while this might sound like a helpful change for everyday users—especially for those looking to ask more complex or natural questions—it’s causing a bit of a stir in other corners, especially among publishers and businesses. See, a lot of companies, from online retailers to news organisations, rely heavily on the traffic they get from people clicking through those Google links. Some even pay to be featured at the top of those search results as ads.
But with AI Mode, there are fewer links and more direct answers, which could mean less traffic going to these websites. For instance, the Daily Mail has claimed their traffic from Google searches has dropped by about 50% since this kind of AI summary feature was introduced. That’s a huge drop—and it’s got many worried about what this means for their visibility and revenue.
Google hasn’t finalized how ads will work in this new AI format either. According to Hema Budaraju, one of Google’s product leads, they're still figuring out whether businesses will be able to pay to be featured in AI-generated answers.
There’s also concern about the accuracy of these AI summaries and the fact that users may not click through to the original sources, even when those summaries are based on real news articles. Critics argue this could undermine the business model of news outlets and reduce accountability in information sharing.
On top of all that, there are environmental worries too. Running AI systems like this requires massive data centers that use tons of electricity and water. Google says it’s committed to sustainability, but the environmental impact of large-scale AI use remains a hot topic.
So while AI Mode is an exciting new chapter for how we search online, it’s also raising important questions about how we get information, who benefits from it, and what it means for the future of the open web.
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