Google tests making AI Mode the default in Search, then says it was an error

midian182

midian182

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A hot potato: The nightmare scenario in which AI Mode becomes the default in Google Search – something the company once suggested would happen – briefly became a reality. But before users had a chance to abandon Chrome in droves, an exec confirmed that it was an error, and there are no plans to make AI Mode the default.

As spotted by Windows Report, a flag in the new Chrome Canary release called Fulfill Searchbox Queries in AI Mode appeared to confirm people's worst fears.
The flag's description explained that it "redirects all normal searchbox queries in the omnibox and realbox to AI mode threads. – Mac, Windows, Linux, ChromeOS."

As you can work out, enabling the flag caused Google Search results to show in AI Mode by default – rather than needing to click on the AI Mode tab at the top like in the regular Google search results.

Google uses Canary to test features for its browser before they appear in the latest stable version of Chrome, though not all of them make the cut.

There are several reasons why Google would make AI Mode the default, despite the majority of users not wanting it. Like other tech giants, Google has poured billions into artificial intelligence and wants a return on its investment, even if users are sick of having AI rammed down their throats.

The bigger indication is that Google has already hinted this was its long-term plan. Back in September, Logan Kilpatrick, lead product manager for Google AI Studio, posted a message on X about AI Mode becoming more accessible at the new google.com/AI URL. Another user said that the mode should be the default for Search, to which Kilpatrick replied "soon :)".

Google Search vice president Robby Stein then tried to downplay the comment after a barrage of vitriol from angry users. He noted that he "wouldn't read too much into this" as the focus was on making AI Mode easier to access.

Thankfully, Google has confirmed AI Mode is not becoming the default – at least not yet. Rajan Patel, VP of Engineering for Search at the company, said that the setting appearing in Chrome's Canary build "was an error. We're not planning to make AI Mode the default for Chrome searches."

Whether Patel is telling the truth and this really was an error, or whether this was a response to the outcry over an intended Canary feature, remains to be seen.

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Google tests making AI Mode the default in Search, then says it was an error

 
Who even still uses search engines in the age of AI? I left that behind me. I have no time to search for information myself when an AI can do that.
 
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A nightmare scenario 🤣🤣🤣???
The author apparently has his own unique definition of nightmare.

AI mode is amazing and getting better by the day. I use it every time I'm looking for something more than a simple fact. No matter how hard you're trying to imply that people don't want it, one needs to try it a couple of times to be convinced how useful it is, and never look back.
 
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The AI mode might be useful if it didn't provide completely untrustworthy answers and ads.
It baffles me how some blindly trust whatever the Artificial Incompetence spits out. Nobody wants it, and just wants a better search engine not forcing ads and AI slop, but I expect Google is going to force their AI mode on everyone regardless since they have to show the c-suite and shareholders what they're spending billions on AI for.
 
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bloomsun said:
Who even still uses search engines in the age of AI? I left that behind me. I have no time to search for information myself when an AI can do that.
Click to expand...

That's all AI is, it is just a search engine. You haven't stopped using a search engine.

Before "AI" you'd search for something using google, for example.
Now with "AI" you search for something using google that tells you it is powered by "AI" - still just a search engine and nothing more.

The real difference now is that the information provided by the "AI" backed search engines can be outlandish, false or even outright made up.
 
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The whole idea behind search is (WAS) too correctly analyse the search terms and provide accurate responses. So.... If I search for 'water' I DON'T want the top 50 water vendors. I want the basics of water, such as chemically H2O, breaks down under electrolosis into Hydrogen and Oxygen, is wet, can be raised in atmosphere to 100C, etc.

IFF an AI can give me better, more accurate search results, Hey! I'll be all over it. So far though, it is AT BEST on a par with DuckDuckGo, and no where near AltaVista.

I also remember a time when Google's motto was 'Do No Evil'.
 
DonquixoteIII said:
So.... If I search for 'water' I DON'T want the top 50 water vendors.
Click to expand...
Then you need to give an AI context. If you go to a person randomly and say "water" without anything, what do you think they think you want? What do you expect an AI to say? How should anybody know what you want? You always need context. I feel that's what most people don't understand.

When I ask my AI, in this case I use Kimi K2.6 for everything, I explain to it what I want like I would explain to a human. That's how you do it. And then you get the result you want.

You can also try xprivo.com/search which offers AI search but private, its entirely european with own search index, etc. No google, bing or whatever underneath.
 
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Uhm, am I the only one here that actually prefers the AI mode? Most of the time I'm searching for something simple, like a recipe or factual information, and if Google AI can quickly look it up and summarize it in 2-3 sentences that saves me sifting through 3-4 different sites to find the information. Google AI does it in 5 seconds vs 2-5 minutes of reading for me with the basic search. That time saving adds up to hours a month.
 
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Neatfeatguy said:
That's all AI is, it is just a search engine. You haven't stopped using a search engine.

Before "AI" you'd search for something using google, for example.
Now with "AI" you search for something using google that tells you it is powered by "AI" - still just a search engine and nothing more.

The real difference now is that the information provided by the "AI" backed search engines can be outlandish, false or even outright made up.
Click to expand...

Its search + the summary of those searches. Sounds simple, but w/ LLMs its finally possible.
 
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poohbear said:
Uhm, am I the only one here that actually prefers the AI mode? Most of the time I'm searching for something simple, like a recipe or factual information, and if Google AI can quickly look it up and summarize it in 2-3 sentences that saves me sifting through 3-4 different sites to find the information. Google AI does it in 5 seconds vs 2-5 minutes of reading for me with the basic search. That time saving adds up to hours a month.
Click to expand...
Some drink tea; some, coffee. There should be both tea and coffee to suit individual taste. When the coffee industry forces tea drinkers to have coffee before getting to their tea, there is a problem.
 
Don't be fooled. Google AI search is not some highly intelligent AI that is researching facts and then contrasting and comparing the best answers.

Google AI search and summary relies extremely heavily on Reddit answers. 9 times out of 10 it is just quoting the highest ranked Reddit post. You can find its summary answers almost verbatim in the Reddit post.

Fine if you just want a quick answer and being wrong is not a big deal. But you need to be aware that there is zero proof that it is the right answer. If you think Reddit is the bastion of truth and knowledge, then be my guest to only use it without fact checking.

https://gulfnews.com/technology/med...now-turning-to-reddit-for-answers-1.500532763

https://www.theverge.com/tech/924993/google-ai-search-mode-overviews-update-reddit-links

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/google-reddit-60-million-deal-ai-training/


 
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