Google Launches AI Mode in Search Across Germany, Changing User Interaction and Raising Concerns
Google's newly launched AI Mode in search in Germany offers direct, chat-based answers but sparks concerns over reduced website traffic and ad revenue.
- • Google's AI Mode launched in Germany and 40+ countries, offering chat-like search interaction.
- • The AI Mode provides detailed, structured answers replacing traditional link lists.
- • Users ask longer, complex questions with image upload and follow-ups supported.
- • Media companies fear declines in website traffic and advertising revenue due to fewer clicks.
- • Google plans to integrate advertising in AI responses, amid accuracy and source reliability concerns.
Key details
Google has launched a new AI Mode in its search engine across Germany and over 40 other countries, including Austria and Switzerland, following earlier rollouts in the US, UK, and India. This mode, powered by Google's Gemini 2.5 language model (also referred to as Gemini Pro 2.5), transforms search from a traditional link-based list into a chat-like interaction that provides direct, structured answers.
Users can now ask longer, more complex and nuanced questions, enabling more comprehensive results such as detailed weekend plans. The AI Mode also supports follow-up questions and image uploads to refine queries. Instead of presenting a list of websites, Google displays answers with citations from selected sources. This shift to AI-powered responses aims to improve user experience by offering immediate, detailed information in an interactive format.
However, significant concerns have emerged among media companies and website operators. Studies show a considerable decline in users clicking on links, with some analyses indicating more than 10% of AI sources may originate from other AI models, casting doubt on accuracy and reliability. Google disputes these accuracy concerns and maintains that high-quality sources will still attract user clicks. Yet, the apparent reduction in click-throughs threatens the traffic and advertising revenues that many websites and news outlets depend on.
The rollout of this AI Mode in Germany is gradual, with plans to integrate advertising into AI-generated answers, a practice already being tested in the US. This development is seen as Google’s strategic response to rising competition from AI-powered services like ChatGPT and Perplexity, particularly among younger users. Early user feedback from the US and UK has been positive regarding the conversational search experience, although the long-term impacts on web traffic and openness of the internet remain uncertain.
Google VP Hema Budaraju highlighted that users are now asking longer, more specific queries, reflecting evolving search behavior. As this new AI search format establishes itself in Germany, the balance between enhanced user interaction and the economic viability of traditional web content remains a critical question.