Google Doubles Down on AI 'Enshittification' of Search

On The Kettle podcast, host Brandon Vigliarolo, along with El Reg reporters Tom Claburn and Liam Proven, discussed Google's AI-centric changes at I/O. Google is expanding AI Overviews, introducing an AI Mode tab, and adding AI ads, including conversational discovery ads that suggest products based on user queries. Critics argue this degrades the search experience, making it harder to find reputable sources and pushing users to stay on Google rather than visiting external sites. Liam Proven referenced Cory Doctorow's concept of 'enshittification,' while Tom Claburn noted that even Google's own AI admitted search quality has declined. The discussion also touched on Google's push for AI agents like Gemini Spark, which can perform long-running tasks, and the potential for these changes to drive users toward ad blockers and alternative search engines.