Google AI Overviews are getting a larger footprint on certain searches, as the company continues to weave artificial intelligence deeper into its core search product. For select queries, Google now automatically expands these AI-generated summaries so they occupy the entire results page rather than a slot at the top.
Positioned above traditional search links, AI Overviews deliver a machine-generated answer to a query by pulling details from sources across the web. Some of those source links are embedded directly within the response, giving users a path to explore the underlying pages.
How the Expanded Experience Works
With the update, Google fully expands the AI answer for some searches, effectively transforming the whole page into an AI response. The change was first noticed by Chris Long, and Google confirmed the rollout, explaining that Overviews may dynamically expand for topics where its systems determine the format is most useful.
According to Google, its research found that this dynamic experience makes Search more helpful and encourages users to engage more deeply in follow-up exploration. One consistent example is definitions, where the AI Overview takes up the full screen.
Options for Users and Publishers
The broader push of AI into Google Search has come alongside several related features and controls. Google has said it will let websites opt out of appearing in AI Mode and AI Overviews, giving publishers more say over how their content is used in AI-generated answers.
Users also have tools to shape their own experience. A search modifier can turn off AI in Google Search results, and Google’s AI Mode and AI Overviews are designed to highlight a user’s Preferred Sources within responses.
The expansion of AI Overviews to fill the full page currently applies to specific query types, with definitions among the searches where the format appears consistently.
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Image: 9to5google.com
