The search engine’s definitions have been changed with AI Overviews.
Google seems to be operating into some hiccups after the corporate started rolling out its updated, and even more AI-focused search experience at I/O 2026. At the moment, looking for the phrases “disregard,” “cease” or “ignore” on Google not shows a snippet with a definition, and as a substitute affords an AI Overview and loads of clean house. As a result of customers have complained about the issue on social media, and publications like TechCrunch and Macrumors have reported on it, even when you do not get a definition, you may nonetheless get a group of hyperlinks to articles documenting the difficulty earlier than the standard record of hyperlinks.
A number of members of Engadget’s employees have been capable of recreate the unusual AI Overview responses with their very own private Google searches. In Incognito Mode, Google responded appropriately as soon as by displaying its typical snippet with the definition, and failed a second time by as soon as once more responding with an AI Overview. Hyperlinks to on-line dictionaries nonetheless seem below these incorrect outcomes, however you need to scroll previous an AI Overview or a grid of articles to truly get to them.
Ian Carlos Campbell for Engadget
Engadget contacted Google for extra data. The corporate responded acknowledging the difficulty and stated a repair was incoming: “We’re conscious that AI Overviews are misinterpreting some action-related queries, and we’re engaged on a repair, which is able to roll out quickly,” a spokesperson stated.
Within the grand scheme of issues, Google not routinely displaying a definition is not as dangerous as recommending folks put glue on pizza, one of the issues the corporate handled when it first launched AI Overviews. It’d even be good for Merriam-Webster’s net site visitors. What the difficulty does spotlight is the awkward transition Google is at the moment present process, because it strikes from the final word referrer of different web sites into all-in-one AI assistant.
Replace, Could 22 2026, 5:45PM ET: This story was modified after publish to incorporate a press release from a Google spokesperson on the difficulty.
