Meta's AI Mode in Search Uses Facebook Data — But Keeps Getting Things Wrong
The Verge AI41 days agoCommentaryMeta has launched AI Mode in search, targeting open-ended queries like 'What should I do this weekend?' by grounding responses in Facebook social data. The concept is compelling: Meta's social graph could enable more personalized, locally relevant recommendations than generic AI search tools. However, The Verge's hands-on finds the product currently unreliable, with the feature frequently getting things wrong — raising concerns about both accuracy and the risks of social-data grounding.
60% of U.S. Consumers Say 'AI' in Brand Messaging Is a Turnoff, Survey Finds
TechCrunch AI41 days agoBusinessA new WordPress VIP survey reveals that 60% of U.S. consumers view explicit references to AI in brand messaging as a negative signal. The finding arrives as businesses are simultaneously increasing their investment in AI-powered search as a key customer acquisition channel. The disconnect highlights a deepening tension between corporate AI enthusiasm and everyday consumer sentiment.
Facebook Launches AI Mode That Generates Search Answers From Public Posts
INSIDE 硬塞 AI42 days agoEthicsMeta has activated an AI answering feature on Facebook that pulls from users' public posts to generate search results without explicit consent. The rollout offers no opt-out mechanism, leaving users with no recourse if they object to their content being used this way. Critics argue the change unilaterally redefines what 'public' means on the platform, raising serious privacy concerns for anyone who has ever posted publicly on Facebook.
Facebook's AI Mode Search Uses Public Posts to Generate Results
The Verge AI42 days agoNew ToolMeta has introduced AI Mode to Facebook search, placing it alongside existing tabs like People and Marketplace. The feature pulls from public Facebook posts to surface AI-generated results rather than raw links. The rollout is part of a broader wave of Meta AI updates launching simultaneously, including photo presets that digitally swap sports jerseys onto subjects in images.
Nobody needs AI to search the Internet, court says in Google ruling★ 74
Ars Technica AI47 days agoRegulationArs Technica reports that Google lost a German court fight involving AI Overview, with the court rejecting the idea that AI is necessary for searching the Internet. The ruling matters because AI search products summarize web content in ways that may reduce visits to original sources. If courts treat AI summaries as optional rather than essential search infrastructure, Google and rivals may face tougher legal limits around content use, attribution, and publisher impact.
Google Search Console Tests AI Search Performance Reporting for GEO
INSIDE 硬塞 AI54 days agoReleaseGoogle Search Console is reportedly testing an AI search performance report that separates AI Overview exposure data from traditional search metrics. The move gives generative engine optimization, or GEO, a clearer measurement baseline. If broadly launched, it could help content, SEO, and marketing teams evaluate how their pages appear in AI-powered search experiences instead of relying mainly on manual checks and assumptions.
Amazon’s search bar will invent AI-generated products you can’t buy
The Verge AI54 days agoBusinessAmazon is updating its in-app search bar to show AI-generated product images based on user descriptions. The feature currently covers clothing and home goods, letting shoppers tap the closest image and search for similar-looking items. The images are not necessarily products users can buy, making them a visual bridge between vague intent and actual inventory.
Glean’s top line crosses $300M as AI budget-cutting becomes its major selling point
TechCrunch AI60 days agoBusinessTechCrunch reports that enterprise AI search startup Glean has crossed $300 million in annual revenue. The company tripled its annual revenue even as major tech companies entered the same category. Its pitch is increasingly centered on helping enterprises reduce or rationalize AI budgets, not only on AI-powered workplace search.
Your SEO strategy is optimized for a search engine that no longer exists.
TechCrunch AI61 days agoCommentaryTechCrunch’s Equity podcast discusses how Google I/O made AI-generated answers central to search. For brands that built strategies around the classic list of blue links, the rules of visibility are changing. The key concern is that many companies have little insight into how AI systems describe them to customers, making brand monitoring and SEO strategy more uncertain.
DuckDuckGo installs are up 30% as users reject Google’s AI Search
TechCrunch AI62 days agoBusinessGoogle overhauled Search at I/O 2026, moving away from classic blue links toward AI agents. TechCrunch reports that the backlash was swift, with some users rejecting the feeling of being forced into Google’s AI Search experience. DuckDuckGo app installs rose 30%, suggesting that dissatisfaction with AI-led search changes is already pushing some users toward alternatives.
Sundar Pichai on AI, the future of search, and what’s happening to the web★ 74
The Verge AI63 days agoBusinessThe Verge interviews Sundar Pichai after Google I/O 2026 about Google’s shift around Gemini, AI infrastructure, Search, and agents. The discussion covers Gemini Spark, Antigravity, AI Mode, YouTube indexing, publisher traffic, and the “Google Zero” concern. Pichai argues Google still wants to connect users to the web, while acknowledging AI anxiety, copyright disputes, energy concerns, and AGI preparation.
How Brands Can Be Found in the AI Search Era: SEO Consultant Frank Chiu on GEO Challenges
INSIDE 硬塞 AI64 days agoCommentaryAs AI search engines directly answer user queries, traditional SEO is facing a major shift. SEO consultant Frank Chiu explains that GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) will be essential over the next 3 to 5 years. However, the inherent volatility and ambiguity of LLMs make tracking and optimizing for AI search highly unpredictable, presenting a "certain uncertainty" for marketers.