AI Search — Latest News and Analysis

Google is expanding English-language AI Mode search ads to 10 more countries. Advertisers cannot opt out of AI Mode ads separately from Search ads.

OpenAI says it cut live internet access for its most advanced AI models during training, replacing it with a virtual web environment where they can still practice browsing.

Google Search may use Gmail and Google Photos summaries for personalized ads when users connect those apps for tailored AI answers.

Google has won dismissal of education firm Chegg and publisher Penske’s lawsuits over alleged traffic losses from its AI search summaries.

Google has expanded Search's AI Mode to Canva, YouTube Music, and Instacart in the US, allowing limited tasks while users retain final checkout control.

Google plans a personalized Google Images discovery gallery with saved collections for web and AI generated images.

OpenAI has pitched ChatGPT ads at Cannes as a possible IPO revenue bet, but marketer uptake hinges on measurement, user trust, and market-scale proof.

OpenAI and Getty have signed a multi-year display deal for ChatGPT Search, while training rights, financial terms, and creator economics remain publicly undisclosed.

Google AI Overviews make fiction from collaborative speculative-fiction project SCP sound real in its search summaries.

Microsoft has released a Bing AI Search Choice preview extension that turns off Copilot-style search answers while also setting Bing as the browser default.

Perplexity's Search as Code lets AI agents generate Python search workflows, but claimed token savings and benchmark gains still need outside validation.

Google is testing Search Console controls for AI Search, giving UK site owners an opt-out that cuts generative visibility but leaves click data missing.

LiveBrowseComp benchmark results suggest AI search agents often verify hunches instead of fresh web evidence, raising new doubts about benchmark scores for browsing skill.

Google has expanded Preferred Sources into AI Overviews and AI Mode, highlighting chosen publishers inside AI answers as search traffic pressure grows.

DuckDuckGo's AI-free search page saw a reported 22.7% traffic rise after Google pushed AI search, pointing to backlash against default AI results in search.

Sesame has launched its iPhone voice AI app in 39 countries with four agents, testing whether conversational AI can become a daily mobile habit on iOS.

Google's AI search shift has given competitors like Bing, Kagi, DuckDuckGo and Startpage a clearer pitch for users who want privacy, direct links or less intrusive AI in search.

Meta appears to be testing Forum, a standalone Facebook Groups iPhone app that surfaces searchable answers, recommendations, and synced community posts.

Google AI Overviews has begun returning a chat-style reply for single-word action queries such as disregard and ignore, replacing the Search dictionary card.

Google is testing new ad formats for AI Mode and Search, placing sponsored recommendations and AI shopping explainers deeper inside conversational results.

YouTube has launched Ask YouTube for U.S. Premium users, but its answer-first search flow could test creator revenue if fewer viewers start full video sessions.

YouTube has expanded Ask YouTube for U.S. Premium adults, adding conversational video search and Gemini Omni remix tools with follow-up prompts in beta.

Google has turned Search's box into an AI entry point with longer prompts, uploads, and information agents, raising fresh pressure on publisher traffic.

Google has expanded its Search spam policy to cover attempts to manipulate AI Overviews and AI Mode answers, with offenders facing demotion or removal.

Google has expanded Gemini API File Search with multimodal retrieval, metadata filters and page citations, improving traceable RAG across PDFs and images.

Google is testing Ask YouTube, a conversational AI search tool for eligible US Premium users on desktop that adds summaries, cited clips and follow-up prompts.

Google has launched Gemini Embedding 2, its first natively multimodal embedding model supporting text, images, video, audio, and documents for enterprise use.

A federal judge has blocked Perplexity's Comet AI browser from accessing Amazon accounts or completing purchases, in a landmark agentic commerce ruling.

A joint investigation has found ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot directing problem gamblers to illegal offshore casinos and bypassing GamStop protections.

Perplexity has abandoned its advertising strategy to focus on subscriptions and enterprise sales, reaching $200M ARR while targeting high-powered professionals.