{
  "id": 10720744,
  "title": "How Google Is Quietly Turning Millions of People Into AI Users",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/how-google-is-quietly-turning-millions-of-people-into-ai-users",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-29T15:34:25.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Time",
    "slug": "time",
    "url": "https://time.com/article/2026/09/29/google-search-ai-mode-chat/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Google has quietly introduced AI Mode, a feature that brings millions of people into the world of artificial intelligence without them even realizing it. The Google homepage now features an AI Mode button instead of the traditional Search button. When a user activates AI Mode, an AI overview appears at the top of the search results, followed by a search bar that encourages \"Ask Anything.\" Clicking on this bar leads to a chatbot interface, allowing users to engage in a conversation.\n\nThis change has resulted in a significant increase in AI usage. Google's AI Mode boasts over 1 billion monthly users, a figure that rivals the estimated 1 billion monthly active users of ChatGPT in May, according to Sensor Tower. In 2024, AI Overviews, AI Mode's predecessor, were shown in 40% of U.S. Google searches and were increasingly utilized by the public.\n\nKevin Indig, a strategy advisor, notes that users in AI Mode behave differently compared to those using traditional search. They write longer queries, search for varied types of information, and exhibit a high level of trust in the AI's answers. Once users enter AI Mode, they are less likely to explore the rest of the web, as they are content with the information provided by the chatbot.\n\nGoogle's aggressive implementation of AI tools into its search engine is a response to the AI arms race. The company lagged behind competitors like OpenAI and Anthropic, but by integrating AI into its search, Google aims to bring AI into people's daily lives. This shift is part of Google's decade-long strategy to become an \"AI-first company,\" a goal declared by CEO Sundar Pichai in 2016.\n\nWhile Google argues that AI Mode provides a more fulfilling experience for users, it poses a threat to the traditional business models of websites that rely on clickthrough ad revenue and SEO optimization. AI Mode saves users from clicking through to the source of information, leading to a decline in web traffic to top-ranking search results. Industries such as online shopping and publishing are particularly affected by this shift, as AI Mode alters the way users interact with content and information online.",
  "summary": "Google’s dominance in search is giving it a powerful advantage in the AI race.",
  "key_points": [
    "Google's AI Mode button replaces traditional Search button on homepage",
    "Over 1 billion monthly users engage with AI Mode, matching ChatGPT's usage",
    "AI Mode users write longer queries, trust AI answers, and avoid web exploration"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}