From Links to Direct Answers
Over the past year or two, the way we search the internet is no longer what it was two decades ago. The type of search users have been accustomed to since the early 2000s—entering terms and receiving a list of links—is gradually transforming into something entirely different: a system that delivers a direct answer, often without the user needing to open a single website.
This change is neither accidental nor sudden. It is the result of a combination of technological progress, economic incentives, and shifting user habits, with generative artificial intelligence at its core. Search engines no longer function solely as intermediaries between users and information sources; increasingly, they take on the role of interpreters, synthesizers, and “providers” of knowledge.
Google, AI Overviews, and the New Role of Search
The largest player in this process is Google, which has introduced so-called AI Overviews—automatically generated summaries that appear at the top of the results page. Instead of the classic “ten blue links,” users increasingly receive a single, clear, and structured answer. Links to sources, if they appear at all, are pushed into the background. 
In a document on the future of search engines, the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) notes that this fundamentally changes the role of search: from a tool that guides users toward information, it becomes a platform that keeps users within its own ecosystem. For search engines, this means greater control over user attention; for users, faster answers—but reduced visibility of the sources themselves.
The Technology Behind Generative Answers
From a technological standpoint, this shift became possible only once large language models became sufficiently “usable” to read, compare, and summarize vast amounts of text. Generative artificial intelligence no longer extracts only keywords; it attempts to understand the essence of a question and provide an answer in a single step. This is a logical continuation of years of search development that long ago moved beyond simple keyword matching.
Search as Conversation and Competitive Pressure
Another, equally important driver of this transformation lies in competition. The emergence of “chat-first” tools, where users ask a question and receive a direct response, has forced traditional search engines to adapt. If users increasingly seek information in a conversational format, then search itself must begin to resemble a conversation. EPRS describes this process as a convergence between search engines and generative platforms, with the boundary between “search” and “chat” becoming increasingly blurred.
Economic Incentives and the Future of Advertising
Behind the technological progress, however, lies a very concrete economic interest. Search has long been one of the most profitable forms of digital advertising. If users click links less frequently and instead consume answers directly on the results page, advertising models must adapt accordingly. As a result, ads are gradually moving into AI-generated answers and new conversational interfaces. Google itself has confirmed that it is testing ad placements within its so-called AI Mode, where the entire search process is structured as a dialogue.
Consequences for Users, Media, and Knowledge
At the same time, user behavior is changing. Research conducted by the Pew Research Center shows that users are less likely to click on traditional results when an AI summary is presented at the top of the page. In many cases, the search ends right there, without opening a single website. This phenomenon, known as “zero-click” search, existed before but has taken on a new dimension with the introduction of generative answers.
The consequences of this model are becoming particularly visible for media outlets and publishers. Traffic they have relied on for years through search engines is becoming more unstable, while dependence on platforms is increasing. Although search engines claim they still direct users to “quality sources,” in practice an ever-growing share of informational value remains within the AI-generated answer itself. For publishers, this means they are no longer at the center of attention, but rather in the background of algorithmic synthesis.
Beyond economics, there are serious concerns about information quality and safety. Generative systems can produce answers that sound convincing even when they are inaccurate or incomplete. This is especially problematic in areas such as health, law, and finance, where nuance and context are crucial. British media have recently documented cases in which AI summaries for health-related queries offered potentially dangerous interpretations, after which some responses were withdrawn.
It is important to emphasize that this is not merely a matter of “technological errors” in a narrow sense, but a structural issue. When users are presented with a single, seemingly satisfactory answer, habits of fact-checking, source comparison, and critical reading begin to erode. Researchers warn that this also changes our relationship with knowledge: what once involved searching and evaluation is increasingly reduced to accepting a ready-made result.
The Open Internet and the Question of the Future
In the European Union, AI-based search is no longer treated solely as a technological innovation, but also as an issue of competition and public interest. When a search engine that already holds a dominant market position simultaneously uses content from media outlets and other sources, while keeping users within its own platform instead of directing them to original sources, legitimate questions arise about fair market practices. In such a model, media lose direct contact with their audience, while control over information distribution becomes increasingly concentrated in the hands of a small number of technology companies. As a result, broader debates are increasingly emerging about whether such practices, in the long term, undermine the very idea of an open internet—one in which sources are visible and access to information is diverse and verifiable.
While it is clear that search will not return to its previous form, it remains uncertain in which direction this model will evolve. What is certain is that the internet as we once knew it is undergoing a profound transformation. Search is no longer merely an entry point to a network of information—it is becoming its filter, its editor, and increasingly, its primary narrator.
In this new environment, the key question is no longer only how quickly we can reach an answer, but who shapes that answer, based on which sources, and in whose interest.
Photos: Pixabay
