Google Search Overhaul Resembles ChatGPT as Website Links No Longer Prioritised

Google for the first time in over 25 years has overhauled the design of its search box. The major change was announced at Google I/O 2026 on Tuesday, 20 May 2026, at Google’s headquarters, and described as one of the most significant transformations since the search engine’s inception in the late 1990s. The search box, long known for its simple design, has been made longer and more sophisticated to support AI-driven searches. Google has named the new design the ‘Intelligent Search Box’. In other words, using Google Search now more closely resembles interacting with an AI chatbot like ChatGPT. Users can now upload photos and ask Google to explain their contents, locate places, compare products, or summarise documents—all without manually typing keywords. Google has also integrated the new search box with its Gemini 3.5 Flash AI model. Google’s VP of Search, Elizabeth Reid, described the update as a major evolution to align with modern information-seeking habits. ‘This is the biggest enhancement to our iconic search box since its debut over 25 years ago,’ she said. The change also marks a fundamental shift for Google Search from a mere search engine to what TechCrunch calls an AI-powered ‘answer engine’. Google now aims for users to receive answers, recommendations, and automated actions directly from AI, rather than just finding links. As a result, the classic ‘ten blue links’ that have long been Google Search’s hallmark are being scaled back. In their place, search results now feature more AI Overviews, automatic summaries, and interactive cards tailored to user context. Google has also introduced ‘Search Live’, enabling two-way conversations with the search engine, including follow-up questions without re-entering context. Additionally, ‘search agents’ have been introduced—AI agents that can automatically perform tasks such as monitoring flight prices, stock levels, apartment availability, or schedules, without requiring users to search manually each time. TechCrunch has described the changes as signalling the end of Google Search as previously known, given the search experience now increasingly resembles an AI chatbot and digital assistant. Nevertheless, Google confirmed that traditional link-based search results will remain available beneath AI answers. The changes will be rolled out gradually to global users starting this week.