Google's AI Overviews Lead Users into a Web of Google Links, Not Websites

Summary

In recent weeks, users of Google Search have observed that AI Overviews now include significantly more hyperlinks within the AI-generated summaries. However, these links primarily redirect to additional Google Search pages rather than external websites. This intentional change by Google aims to enhance user exploration and discovery of relevant information.

Google explains that links are added 'when our systems determine it might be useful,' similar to their 'People also search for' feature. The company claims this helps users navigate topics more efficiently, although the prominence of internal links has raised concerns about the impact on external web traffic. For instance, one AI Overview featured 31 internal Google links compared to just 7 external links.

Despite potential drawbacks, the convenience and speed of research offered by these changes are notable, prompting a mixed reaction from users.