Google introduces new AI search feature in UK

Google has introduced a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool in the UK that changes the way users interact with its search engine.

Named “AI Mode,” this new tool offers responses in a conversational format rather than presenting the traditional list of blue hyperlinks.

The AI tool aims to simplify complex queries by delivering direct answers, generated using Google’s Gemini AI platform.

While this new mode won’t replace the standard Google search, it represents a major shift in how search results are delivered.

Users who opt into AI Mode will see fewer links and more narrative-style summaries.

According to experts, this move could significantly disrupt the current web traffic model, which supports businesses and publishers by directing users to their websites through clickable links.

Many companies rely on this referral traffic for advertising revenue and visibility. Paid placements on search result pages have also been a major part of Google’s ad business.

However, with AI-generated answers providing fewer external links, businesses fear reduced web traffic.

A product manager at Google Search, Hema Budaraju, acknowledged that the company is still determining how advertising will function within AI Mode.

She added that AI could enable new ways for users to seek information more naturally.