Google's Liz Reid on Who Will Own Search in a World of AI

“With AI overviews, we’re really looking to help people get to the core of what they're looking for by synthesizing information from across the web. It’s not just about giving a list of links anymore; it’s about providing a concise, accurate summary that saves the user time while still providing the path to go deeper if they want.”

“The move from just retrieving documents to actually reasoning over information is a fundamental shift in how search works. LLMs allow us to take a query that might have taken several searches in the past and handle it in one go because the model can understand the intent and the relationship between different concepts.”

“We are very focused on the health of the open web. It’s a core part of the search ecosystem. Even as we introduce more AI-driven features, our data shows that people still want to click through to hear from the original sources, and we are designing these experiences to ensure that traffic continues to flow to high-quality creators.”

“Search isn't just text anymore. Whether it’s using Lens to search what you see or using video to explain a complex problem, the goal is to make the world’s information accessible in whatever format is most natural for the user. AI helps bridge the gap between a visual input and a helpful answer.”

“What we’ve seen is that AI overviews actually encourage people to ask more complex questions that they might have felt were too difficult for a traditional search engine. By lowering that friction, we’re seeing users engage more deeply and explore topics they might have otherwise given up on.”

“Ads have always been a helpful part of the search experience when they are relevant. As we evolve search with generative AI, we are testing and learning how to integrate ads in a way that feels native to the new format while continuing to provide value to both the users and the businesses trying to reach them.”