Google unleashes AI in search, raising hopes for better results and fears about less web traffic

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE
AP Technology Writer

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP) — Google has rolled out a retooled search engine that will frequently favor responses crafted by artificial intelligence over website links. It’s a shift promising to quicken the quest for information while also potentially disrupting the flow of money-making internet traffic. The makeover announced at Google’s annual developers conference Tuesday will begin this week in the U.S. when users will start to periodically see conversational summaries generated by the company’s AI technology at the top of the search engine’s results page. After testing the technology for the past year, Google is now bringing its AI overviews to the masses in a move that could trigger a sea change in web surfing habits.