How to Bypass AI-Generated Summaries on Google Search
If you’ve been using Google Search recently, you might have noticed a new feature. Instead of immediately displaying relevant links or advertisements, Google now shows an AI-generated summary at the top of the search results. This summary attempts to answer your query by combining information from multiple websites into a single “overview.”
Google claims these AI-powered summaries appear only when they can be particularly helpful. However, my experience has shown that these summaries are often inaccurate, leading me to skip past them altogether.
You’re not alone if you’re frustrated. The Google support forum is filled with posts from users asking how to disable these AI responses. Many users find them either obstructive or inaccurate. Unfortunately, Google quickly locks these posts and disables comments.
How to Avoid Google Search AI Summaries: Three Methods
1. Use the “Web” Tab
One way to bypass the AI summaries is to use the new “Web” tab at the top of the search results. When you perform a search, you’ll see various tabs such as images, videos, news, and shopping. The “Web” tab takes you directly to traditional search results, bypassing the AI summary. While this adds an extra step, it effectively avoids the AI-generated answers.
2. Install Browser Extensions
Several Chrome extensions can disable Google AI summaries. These extensions, which can only be used on desktop versions of Chrome, modify the HTML of the search results page to remove the AI-generated content. To find these extensions, go to the settings menu in Chrome, hover over “Extensions,” and select “Visit Chrome Web Store.” Look for extensions with names like “Hide AI Overviews” or “Bye Bye, Google AI.”
3. Set a Search Shortcut
You can also set your browser to default to the “Web” view automatically. In Chrome, right-click the address bar and choose “Manage search engines.” Scroll down and click “Add” to create a new search shortcut. Name it something memorable, and for the URL, use:
https://www.google.com/search?q=%s&udm=14
This will ensure your searches go directly to the web view, bypassing the AI summary, when you search from the address bar.
Google has not provided an official way to opt out of these AI summaries, and companies cannot prevent their content from appearing in these overviews. According to Google, AI Overviews provide a preview of a topic based on various sources and are subject to Search’s preview controls. For now, using the workarounds mentioned above is the best way to avoid these AI-generated summaries.
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