Google Launches AI-Powered Search in the UK
In a significant move that could reshape the way we interact with the internet, Google is rolling out a new artificial intelligence (AI) feature in the UK that transforms the traditional search experience. Known informally as “AI Mode,” this new tool generates search results using conversational AI rather than the familiar list of blue links we’ve grown used to over the past two decades.
Instead of presenting users with a long list of websites to choose from, AI Mode offers direct, conversational answers to search queries. These answers are powered by Google’s Gemini AI model and aim to provide more complete responses in a single view, reducing the need for users to click around to find what they’re looking for.
A New Era of Search
To be clear, this doesn’t mean Google’s classic search is going away. Billions of people still rely on the traditional interface every day, and it will remain available. But the introduction of AI Mode marks a major evolution in how we access information online, and raises important questions for businesses, publishers, and even users themselves.
AI Mode has already launched in the United States and India, and it’s now beginning its rollout in the UK. Users can opt in by selecting a new tab or choosing the AI option directly in the search box. For now, participation is voluntary, but the shift is expected to grow over time.
Google says this update reflects how people are changing the way they use search. Instead of typing in keywords like “clean carpet stain,” users are increasingly entering more natural, conversational queries like, “I spilled coffee on my Berber carpet — what’s the best pet-friendly cleaner?”
Hema Budaraju, Google’s Senior Director of Product for Search, explained, “These kinds of complex, natural questions didn’t really exist before. AI Mode helps people express themselves more clearly, and it helps Search understand and respond in kind.”
What’s Different About AI Mode?
One of the biggest differences with AI Mode is its format. Traditional search results usually include multiple links to websites, news articles, and videos. AI Mode, on the other hand, generates a direct response, often only featuring a few links, typically buried further down the page.
Google demonstrated the tool using an example query: finding strawberry picking spots suitable for a family with young kids. The AI-generated response included some links and a map, but they were less prominent than what you’d see with a traditional search. The AI summary took center stage.
That change has already sparked concern, particularly among news publishers and other businesses that rely heavily on search-driven web traffic. The Daily Mail, for example, claims that its referral traffic from Google has dropped by about 50% since the introduction of AI Overview, which is a similar AI-powered feature.
What About Ads and Revenue?
The shift from link-heavy results to streamlined AI summaries could disrupt one of Google’s most lucrative business models: search advertising. For years, businesses have paid to appear at the top of Google’s search results. But if users aren’t clicking links as much, will these paid placements still have the same value?
Google hasn’t yet finalised how advertising will work in AI Mode. “It’s something we’re still working through,” Budaraju said. It’s unclear whether companies will eventually be able to pay to be included in AI-generated summaries.
But some industry experts and business owners are already worried. If users are less likely to click on links embedded in AI responses, the ripple effects could be enormous, especially for publishers that depend on ad impressions or subscriptions driven by search referrals.
Rosa Curling, director of the digital rights group Foxglove, raised concerns about how AI Mode affects journalism in particular. “What the AI summary now does is make sure the reader’s eyes stay on the Google page,” she said. “And that means less traffic and less revenue for news outlets, whose stories are often the basis of those summaries.”
In fact, a study commissioned by Foxglove from the Pew Research Centre found that users clicked on links only once in every 100 searches when an AI summary appeared at the top of the results. Google has disputed the methodology of the study, but the underlying trend is hard to ignore.
Environmental Concerns
In addition to its business implications, the expansion of AI-powered search raises environmental questions. Generating AI responses on the fly requires significant computing power, and that means more data centres, which consume vast amounts of energy and water.
Google insists it remains committed to sustainability. “We are constantly evolving sustainable ways to serve technology,” Budaraju said. Still, as AI usage expands, its environmental footprint is an issue that won’t go away.
What’s Next?
While Google’s AI Mode is still optional and evolving, its impact is already being felt. For users, it offers faster, more conversational answers, potentially making everyday searches easier and more intuitive. But for businesses, publishers, and even advertisers, the stakes are much higher.
As people get more comfortable interacting with AI for their everyday information needs, the entire ecosystem around search is poised for disruption. Companies that have long relied on Google to drive traffic may need to rethink how they reach audiences. And for Google, the challenge will be balancing innovation with responsibility, to users, to businesses, and to the broader digital landscape.
For now, AI Mode is just an option. But it may be the future.