Is AI Killing Google Search? Here’s What the Latest Data Says

In 2024, Google introduced a powerful new feature: AI Overviews — quick summaries at the top of search results, generated using AI. At first, these summaries seemed like a helpful upgrade. But in 2025, the cracks are starting to show. A new study by the Pew Research Center reveals some surprising (and worrying) facts about how AI is affecting Google Search — and more importantly, the entire web ecosystem

Anuj Singh

Jul 28, 2025 - 00:38 Updated: Jul 28, 2025 - 00:39

Is AI Killing Google Search? Here’s What the Latest Data Says

google search is dying

What’s Happening with AI Overviews?

According to data from 900 US adults tracked in March 2025:

58% of users saw at least one AI Overview in their Google searches.
When AI Overviews appeared, users clicked on traditional search links only 8% of the time.
Without AI Overviews, the click rate was nearly double — 15%.

Even worse, only 1% clicked on the source links inside the AI summaries, despite Google including them.

This shows that AI Overviews are reducing website visits, which means less traffic and less ad revenue for content creators and publishers.

Users Are Ending Their Searches Sooner

The Pew study also found that:

26% of users ended their browsing after seeing an AI Overview.
In comparison, only 16% ended their session when AI wasn’t shown.

So instead of exploring more websites, people are getting their answer and leaving — good for users maybe, but bad news for publishers.

Publishers Are Sounding the Alarm

Media companies are pushing back hard. Headlines like:

“Google Is Burying the Web Alive”
“AI is killing the web. Can anything save it?”
“The AIpocalypse is here”

…are now common. And the concern is real. If people stop clicking on links, the entire ad-driven model of the internet could start collapsing.

Are There Solutions?

Yes — sort of.

Cloudflare recently suggested a system to charge AI crawlers for using content from websites. The idea is to protect publishers and create a fairer system where content owners get compensated.

Meanwhile, Google (aka "The Chocolate Factory") defends the feature, saying AI Overviews help users find more diverse content faster.

✅ Final Thoughts: Is AI Killing Google Search?

Not exactly — but it's changing it, fast.
AI Overviews are making Google more of an "answer engine" than a "search engine." That means fewer clicks, shorter sessions, and struggling websites.

Unless a new, balanced system is created, AI might not kill Google Search — but it could kill the web that feeds it.