Google launches AI Mode in UK

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1. https://www.greenbot.com/google-ai-mode-hits-uk/ – Please view link – unable to able to access data
2. https://www.greenbot.com/google-ai-mode-hits-uk/ – Google’s AI Mode, powered by the Gemini 2.5 model, has been introduced in the UK, allowing users to receive AI-generated responses instead of traditional search results. This feature supports text, voice, and image inputs, enabling users to ask specific questions and receive comprehensive answers. However, publishers express concerns that this development could significantly reduce web traffic, as users are less likely to click on external links when AI summaries are provided at the top of search results. Research indicates a 50% decrease in link clicks when AI summaries appear, raising alarms about the potential impact on the open web and content creators who rely on search traffic for revenue. Google asserts that AI Mode offers new opportunities for content discovery and continues to drive substantial traffic to websites, though it has not provided specific supporting data.
3. https://www.windowscentral.com/artificial-intelligence/google-is-using-ai-overviews-in-search-to-nuke-the-web – Windows Central critiques Google’s AI Overviews feature, suggesting it may negatively affect web browsing and cognitive engagement. Launched over a year ago, AI Overviews delivers AI-generated summaries from websites, aiming to streamline search results. However, studies show that users interacting with these summaries are significantly less likely to click through to source websites—only 1% do so—raising concerns over web traffic loss and reduced exploration of broader information. The Pew Research Center’s study, based on the browsing patterns of 900 U.S. participants, suggests that AI Overviews often end users’ search sessions prematurely, altering traditional search behaviors. Despite over 2 billion monthly users, the feature has faced criticism for generating misleading or nonsensical information. Google attributes these instances to gaps in online data and has made updates to improve query handling and content selection. Parallel research from Microsoft warns that overreliance on AI tools like ChatGPT and Copilot may decrease critical thinking and intellectual engagement, an effect some users have corroborated anecdotally. The growing perception is that while AI tools promise convenience, they may also undermine thoughtful information consumption and discourse.
4. https://www.ft.com/content/2bb07757-6039-46cc-8f1a-73d0a83584a7 – The Financial Times discusses Google’s adaptation to the rise of generative AI, highlighting its integration of AI-generated answers into search results. Initially slow to respond to ChatGPT’s popularity, Google has now stabilised its position by incorporating AI features, leading to a 10% increase in relevant queries without undermining advertising revenue. Despite the shift in user behaviour—less link-clicking—search ad income remains strong. However, the real challenge lies ahead, as attention shifts to powerful AI apps, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s own Gemini. While Gemini garners 450 million monthly users, OpenAI reportedly has five times the daily users who use the app more intensively. Both companies are pivoting toward monetising user actions through AI agents, not just attention. OpenAI is developing services that make online purchases on a user’s behalf and take commissions, suggesting a new revenue model. Google, meanwhile, is exploring subscription models and cloud service growth. Though OpenAI leads for now, Google’s massive platform user base and products give it leverage. The competitive landscape is shifting from browser-based search to AI-powered personal assistants, and Google must innovate to secure its role in this new digital ecosystem.
5. https://www.axios.com/2025/07/23/publishers-google-zero – Axios reports on publishers’ concerns over ‘Google Zero,’ a scenario where Google stops delivering meaningful referral traffic due to AI-powered search features. This shift reduces the need for users to click through to publisher websites, leading to declining traditional search traffic. In response, companies like Wired are diversifying their revenue streams by expanding subscription offerings with products such as higher-priced newsletters, live editor Q&As, and audio article narrations. Media outlets are also investing heavily in their own platforms, including apps, newsletters, and events, to reduce dependence on external platforms that utilise their content for AI training. Simultaneously, many publishers are striking licensing deals with AI firms as a hedge against the loss of ad revenue. Google has introduced a tool in its ad manager allowing micropayments from readers, aiming to support publishers affected by AI overview features that bypass traditional referrals. The publishing industry continues to navigate these changes amid lingering impacts from the previous decline in social media traffic.
6. https://theweek.com/tech/is-ai-killing-the-internet – The Week explores the impact of AI integration into search engines, suggesting it may threaten the traditional open web model. Historically, websites provided content to search engines like Google, which drove user traffic back to those sites. However, new AI tools such as Perplexity’s Comet browser, OpenAI’s Operator agent, and Google’s “AI Mode” are changing that dynamic by offering users direct answers rather than directing them to original sources, reducing website traffic and potentially bypassing publishers, retailers, and advertisers. Critics argue this could fundamentally alter how users experience the internet, eliminating the serendipity of discovering new information. While the BBC warns of a fading open web, others, like Robby Stein from Google, argue that the internet is expanding due to AI proliferation. Although AI-powered search currently comprises a small fraction of usage, its rapid growth has sparked significant debate. While previous predictions of the web’s demise due to social media or mobile apps proved inaccurate, AI is now viewed as a more substantial and disruptive force.
7. https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/googles-ai-overviews-hit-by-eu-antitrust-complaint-independent-publishers-2025-07-04/ – Reuters reports that a group of independent publishers has filed an antitrust complaint with the European Commission against Google’s AI Overviews, alleging market abuse. The complaint, submitted by the Independent Publishers Alliance and supported by groups like the Movement for an Open Web and Foxglove Legal, claims Google’s AI-generated summaries, which appear at the top of search results, harm publishers by diverting traffic and revenue. These summaries are created using publisher content without offering an opt-out option without penalising visibility on search results. The groups argue this practice threatens independent journalism and have requested an interim measure to prevent further harm. Google defends the AI Overviews feature, claiming it drives billions of daily clicks and new opportunities for content discovery, and claims that traffic fluctuations depend on various factors, including seasonal demand and algorithm updates. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority is also reviewing the complaint, which parallels a U.S. lawsuit alleging similar damage to publishers. The case highlights growing concern over Google’s integration of AI in search and its impact on news media and content rights.