Google will make news articles and website links more prominent in its AI-powered search results, the company announced on Thursday, as publishers warn that AI-generated summaries are diverting users away from their websites. The changes include expanding a carousel of news links worldwide and giving greater visibility to sources users have selected as preferred.
The Alphabet subsidiary began integrating more AI features into its search results over two years ago. In May 2024, it launched AI Overviews, which generate summarised answers to search queries rather than simply displaying links, as Google traditionally did.
Then, in March 2025, Google added AI Mode, which opens in a separate window and provides more comprehensive answers and more links than AI Overviews. Now, contextual links will appear more frequently and higher up in AI-generated search content.
Google will also expand its link "carousel" worldwide. These cards appear directly below AI Overviews and display headlines with images for relevant articles.
The algorithm will prioritise articles from websites that users have previously identified as "preferred sources". It will also be able to draw content from relevant social media posts and other forums.
Google will also make links displayed at the end of AI-generated summaries "more engaging and prominent" for users who want to "dig deeper". During the company's second-quarter 2025 results announcement, Alphabet chief executive Sundar Pichai said AI Overviews had more than two billion monthly users across more than 200 countries.
Several studies have shown that replacing traditional search results with AI-generated summaries significantly reduces the rate at which users open suggested links. According to a report by consultancy Chartbeat, news publishers saw a 40 per cent drop in traffic from Google between July 2025 and July 2026.
In August, Apig, a group representing daily newspapers in France, alerted the Competition Authority that AI summaries breached agreements reached with news publishers in 2022. The move is seen as a strategic pivot to appease media organizations that have long argued that AI-driven search tools cannibalize their audience.
By integrating these links more effectively, Google aims to balance the utility of AI with the economic sustainability of the news ecosystem. Industry analysts suggest that while this is a step in the right direction, the long-term impact on publisher revenue remains to be seen.
The tension between tech giants and content creators continues to shape the future of digital information retrieval. As Google continues to refine its search algorithms, the company faces increasing pressure from regulators worldwide to ensure fair competition and protect the intellectual property of news outlets.