How to disable AI responses in Google Searches?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on disabling the AI Search feature in Google, which many users find intrusive. Participants highlight that Google’s AI summaries are designed to retain users on its search page, thereby increasing ad revenue. While there is no official way to disable these AI Overviews, users suggest alternative solutions such as browser plugins and using search engines like Startpage and DuckDuckGo that do not incorporate AI summaries. Specific plugins mentioned include the "AI Overview Hider for Google" for Firefox.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Google Search functionalities
  • Familiarity with browser plugins and extensions
  • Knowledge of alternative search engines like DuckDuckGo and Startpage
  • Basic awareness of AI technologies and their application in search engines
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the "AI Overview Hider for Google" plugin for Firefox
  • Explore the features of Google Gemini and its differences from standard Google Search
  • Investigate the privacy policies and functionalities of Startpage and DuckDuckGo
  • Learn about browser extensions that enhance search experience without AI summaries
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for internet users frustrated with AI-generated search results, web developers looking to enhance user experience, and anyone interested in privacy-focused search alternatives.

berkeman
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This is not specific to PF, but came up in a PF thread:
berkeman said:
Yeah, I need to figure out if there's a way to turn off the "AI Search" feature in Google searches. That is really obnoxious. Off with a mission now...

I'm doing some searches, but so far Google is leading me in circles...

Any tips? Thanks.
 
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Did you ask ChatGPT how to eviscerate its Google cousin?
 
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It used to be that Google would provide search results, we’d go the various sites that came up in the results, we’d spend some time at those sites generating ad revenue for them… google would make money only from the related ads it placed on the search results page, and we aren’t staying long on that page. But when it provides an AI summary of the search results we’re more likely to stay on the Google page - it already has much of what we’d find by following the search result links.

So the AI summaries are Google’s way of capturing ad revenue that would otherwise be lost to click-throughs. Expecting Google to disable them is sort of like expecting a business to refer customers to their competitors.
 
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Maybe there's a plugin or browser that can do it.
 
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berkeman said:
This is not specific to PF, but came up in a PF thread:


I'm doing some searches, but so far Google is leading me in circles...

Any tips? Thanks.
There's no obligation to read or click on the AI overview.
 
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I see many arguments denying that AI is actually intelligent. It seems to me that if these arguments are accepted then one would also conclude that 99% of the human race is not intelligent. It appears that this is not seen as a problem.
 
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  • #10
Hornbein said:
I see many arguments denying that AI is actually intelligent. It seems to me that if these arguments are accepted then one would also conclude that 99% of the human race is not intelligent. It appears that this is not seen as a problem.
No one is intelligent all the time. It takes way too much time and caffeine to get my brain to turn on in the morning.
 
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As PeroK said, just scroll on by. The AI overview is Google stealing information from other websites and not giving them traffic or even credit. And, it's often wrong to boot.
 
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  • #14
harborsparrow said:
And, it's often wrong to boot.
So turning it off with make the internet a completely accurate source of information. 🫤
 
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  • #15
Algr said:
So turning it off with make the internet a completely accurate source of information. 🫤
...at least one very confidently presented layman opinion will be gone.

Ps.: by now, there are a growing number of browser extensions ready for the task. Example
 
  • #16
@berkeman you should be aware that the AI generated answers under regular Google search might be different if you pose the same question using Google Gemini. I don't know enough to know why there is a difference, but maybe under search, the AI is giving a summary based on the various sites through the query process, whereas in Google Gemini, the code assumes that the user wants self-contained answer.
 
  • #17
elias001 said:
@berkeman you should be aware that the AI generated answers under regular Google search might be different if you pose the same question using Google Gemini. I don't know enough to know why there is a difference, but maybe under search, the AI is giving a summary based on the various sites through the query process, whereas in Google Gemini, the code assumes that the user wants self-contained answer.
Gemini is just one layer that AI Overviews utilize.
 
  • #18
One more reason to use DuckDuckGo instead of Google, imo.
 

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