Artificial Intelligence Assessments: Undeterred by Errors, Remains Prominent in Public View
Google's AI Overviews, introduced in May 2024 as AI-written summaries atop some Google search results, are dominating the search landscape, appearing in approximately 91.36% of top positions. However, a recent study suggests that these AI-generated summaries face challenges in terms of accuracy and user engagement.
As of mid-2025, user interaction indicates lower trust and accuracy in AI Overviews, with only about 8% of users clicking through links when AI Overviews are shown, compared to 15% click-through for traditional snippets and organic results. This trend suggests that AI Overviews often provide summaries that reduce user reliance on clicking through to source pages, possibly due to perceived completeness or lower confidence in AI answers [1][3].
Regarding accuracy, multiple reports note that AI Overviews sometimes contain inaccuracies. Despite this, Google data shows AI Overviews are becoming more prevalent, appearing in roughly 18% of all Google searches by early 2025, particularly on question-like queries [2][4][5].
In comparison to traditional featured snippets, AI Overviews have a lower click-through rate, are frequently questioned for their accuracy, and cover a smaller portion of searches. While traditional snippets are usually also top, their visibility varies by query, they have a nearly double click-through rate, and are generally seen as more reliable, sourced from specific pages [2][3][5].
The situation has raised concerns about the reliability of AI Overviews and their potential impact on publishers. The Google AI Overview, when asked about its own accuracy, claims the "vast majority" of AI Overviews are highly factual. However, instances of inaccuracies and misleading answers have been reported by users and publishers [1][3].
This development in search behaviors and web traffic is significant, with some online publishers already experiencing a decline in clicks from search results, which they are calling a "traffic apocalypse" [6].
It's worth noting that Google's AI Mode, which powers AI Overviews, requires more processing power than AI Overviews. Additionally, Google's market share dipped just below 90% for almost every month in 2025 [7].
References:
- Google's AI Overviews Frequently Questioned for Accuracy
- AI Overviews Gaining Usage Rapidly but Challenges Remain
- The Impact of AI Overviews on User Trust and Web Traffic
- AI Overviews Becoming More Prevalent in Google Searches
- SE Ranking: AI Overviews on Nearly 30% of Google Searches in May 2025
- The "Traffic Apocalypse": A Decline in Clicks from Search Results
- Google's Market Share Dips Below 90% in 2025
- The internet is buzzing with debates about the accuracy and reliability of AI Overviews, a tech feature introduced by Google that uses artificial intelligence to provide summaries of search results.
- Despite their prevalence on the internet, AI Overviews, generated by Google's AI Mode, are being questioned for their accuracy, while traditional snippets and organic results are seen as more reliable.
- As AI technology continues to evolve, concerns about its impact on publishers and web traffic are rising, with some online publishers experiencing a decline in clicks from search results, a trend some are calling a "traffic apocalypse."
