Google’s AI heavy Google I/O keynote has ended, but Gemini has a long way to go before it can turn Google’s AI dreams into realities. While many of Google’s AI features are months down the line, the AI Overviews feature is already live for all US users.
Google is only going to be adding more AI features to the Search page going forward. This includes the ability to ask longer, more complex questions, or even to organize the entire Search page in different sections using AI. If that sounds like too much for you, there’s something you can do about it.
Turn off AI in Google Search
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While releasing all its new AI features, Google has also introduced something that will help you go back—way back. There’s now a new, easy to miss button at the top of the search results page simply called “Web.” If you switch to it, Google will only show you text links from websites, just like the good old days (although these can include sponsored ads).
The irony of needing to press a button called Web to get results for a web search is not lost on me. Nevertheless, it will be a useful feature for anyone who prefers the old-school approach to Google Search, the one that only showed you the top results from the web, made up of trusted sites.
The Web filter is rolling out on desktop and mobile search globally starting today and tomorrow, and you should see it in your searches soon. If you don’t find it in the toolbar, click the More menu, and it should be there.
Credit: Google Search Liaison (via X)
When you switch to the Web filter, your search results will also get rid of any kind of media or pull-out boxes. You won’t see sections for images, videos, or Google News stories. Instead, you’ll just see links (which themselves can point to YouTube videos, or news stories), according to Google Search Liaison’s post on X.
Google has also confirmed to The Verge that the Web filter will stay like this, even as Google continues to add more AI features to the main page of Google Search.
There’s no stopping AI
While the Web filter is a nice touch, it’s not the default option, and you’ll need to switch to it manually, all the time (like you do when you switch to the Images or Maps filter). This step has also made something else clear: Google is not offering a way to turn off AI search features in the default Search page. Perhaps we will eventually see Chrome extensions that can alter the Google Search page, but for now, the only escape Google Search’s AI is to switch to the Web filter.