×
Annoyed with Google’s AI Overviews? Here’s how to disable them
Written by
Published on
Join our daily newsletter for breaking news, product launches and deals, research breakdowns, and other industry-leading AI coverage
Join Now

The proliferation of AI in search engines has sparked debate about the balance between convenience and reliability, particularly as Google rolls out its Search Generative Experience (SGE) more broadly.

The evolution of Google AI Overviews: Google’s Search Generative Experience, initially an opt-in feature through Search Labs, has now become a default part of the search experience that cannot be completely disabled through standard settings.

  • The feature provides AI-generated summaries at the top of search results for various queries
  • Early testing revealed significant variations in accuracy, performing well for basic facts but struggling with specific or complex queries
  • Users have reported concerning instances of misinformation, including dangerous advice about drinking urine for hydration

Practical limitations: The AI-generated overviews demonstrate clear boundaries in their utility and reliability for different types of searches.

  • Basic factual queries like historical dates show reasonable accuracy
  • Complex topics, buying advice, and specific technical information often contain mixed or incorrect information
  • The feature works best for low-stakes queries where accuracy is less critical

Desktop workaround solution: While Google doesn’t provide a direct way to disable AI overviews, users can effectively bypass them through Chrome’s search engine settings.

  • Navigate to Chrome’s search engine settings via chrome://settings/searchEngines
  • Add a new custom search engine named “AI Free Web” with specific parameters
  • Set the new search engine as default to filter out AI-generated results

Mobile alternatives: Mobile users have different options for avoiding AI overviews, though they’re more limited than desktop solutions.

  • Visit tenbluelinks.org to set up an AI-free search experience on mobile Chrome
  • Firefox mobile users can manually configure a custom search engine with specific parameters
  • Both solutions effectively filter out AI-generated content from search results

Looking ahead: The current implementation of Google AI Overviews represents an early attempt at integrating AI into search, but its limitations suggest the technology needs significant refinement before becoming truly valuable for users.

  • The mandatory nature of the feature has raised concerns about user choice and control
  • Questions remain about the balance between AI assistance and traditional search functionality
  • Further development and improvement will be necessary to address accuracy and reliability issues
Here's why I turned off AI Overviews and why you should consider it too

Recent News

AI discovers potential Alzheimer’s cause and treatment

AI identifies PHGDH gene as a direct cause of Alzheimer's disease beyond its role as a biomarker, offering a new understanding of spontaneous cases and potential treatment pathways.

AI chatbots transform digital advertising landscape

AI chatbots are creating new advertising opportunities that require rethinking how brands engage with users in conversational contexts without compromising trust.

Chess AI struggles with Paul Morphy’s famous 2-move checkmate

Despite their computational power, today's most advanced AI models still struggle with specific chess challenges that demand creative problem-solving rather than brute-force calculation.