Can you remember times when using Google search meant actually going to the website? It seems that those times are gone. AI Overviews created by Google are now able to provide us with a similar comporisive answer even before we visit the websites that created that information. Very convenient? Sure. But is it good for the internet?
In August 2026, a research was carried out using browsing data of 900 US adults and showed that clicks on sources cited in AI Overviews were only made in 1% of all visits. The research also showed that there were less clicks on the links provids in AI Overviews and also less completed browsing sessions. arXiv
This percentage is very concerning. Websites are not simply a place where the information magically appears from. People write articles, scientists carry out researches, photographers take pictures, and videographers create videos. These people need audience to survive. What will happen to them if Google provides us with the answer without taking us to the source?
However, Google believes that there is another side to this story. According to the company, the AI-enabled Search is bringing more searches while continuing to send billions of clicks to websites. blog.google Additionally, the company has developed new features aimed at helping people find websites and their original content through AI Search. blog.google
Convenience may hide many dangers though. I can ask the AI something, get a nice summary of whatever, and continue without even realizing where the information was first published. Sure, this is easier, but the internet will lose its independence, becoming one huge answer box..
AI Search may not kill the internet immediately, but by stopping to click on links, read, and discover things for ourselves, we can kill what is making the internet worth searching.
Perhaps the real question is not whether AI can provide us with the answers we need, but rather whether we still want to know the source of the information.
Joleen Jublee 
Jamez 
Scarlett Johnstone