Google seems determined to embed artificial intelligence into every corner of its services, even when it worsens the user experience. The latest experiment targets Google Discover, the feed that recommends news articles on Android devices. Google is now testing a feature that scrubs out original headlines written by human authors and replaces them with AI-generated text.
The results are already causing headaches. The Verge spotted an instance where Google’s AI took an Ars Technica article and completely misrepresented the facts. The original story discussed Valve’s new Steam Machine and explicitly stated that the company had not yet shared the cost. Google’s AI rewrote the headline to claim, “Steam Machine price revealed.” That is false. While Google adds a small disclaimer noting that AI “can make mistakes,” it raises a simple question: Why use AI at all if the human-written headline was already accurate?
Google claims this is just a “small UI experiment.” A company spokesperson said the goal is to make details “easier to digest” before users click a link. However, this move creates more tension between Google and online publishers. Websites rely on their headlines to draw readers in. When Google rewrites them—often poorly—it misleads readers and damages the source’s reputation.
This fits a larger pattern of Google creating distance between users and actual websites. Media organizations have long fought for compensation for the content Google displays. In response, Google often minimizes news links or argues that news doesn’t make them much money anyway.
Despite the errors, the company isn’t slowing down. Robby Stein, Google’s VP of Product, recently shared that they are merging the controversial “AI Mode” chatbot directly into standard search results on mobile. This means users will soon see more AI-scraped summaries and fewer direct links to the people who actually did the reporting. For publishers and readers alike, this looks less like a helpful tool and more like a way to keep users trapped inside Google’s walled garden.
