Google Search AI Summaries Are Destroying Its Own Profits—And Users Are Calling It Useless

Google’s once-indispensable search engine is facing a growing backlash as its new AI-generated summaries draw criticism for being unhelpful and even harmful to the company’s bottom line. Satirical outlet First Dog on the Moon highlights the irony that Google’s AI feature, designed to answer queries directly, is ‘punching a huge hole in their own profits’ by reducing clicks on ads and external websites. The piece asks a provocative question: ‘is this good?’—a nod to the mixed feelings among users who find the AI summaries convenient but often shallow, inaccurate, or simply useless compared to traditional search results. The shift comes as Google, under pressure from competitors like Microsoft’s Bing with ChatGPT, has aggressively integrated AI into its core product. But early evidence suggests the move may cannibalize the very ad revenue that made Google a trillion-dollar company, while frustrating users who still want to browse links and read in-depth content. For publishers, the stakes are high: less traffic from Google means less ad income and fewer subscribers, threatening the open web. The takeaway? Google’s AI gamble could backfire if it alienates both users and the websites that feed its search index—watch for tweaks as the company tries to balance innovation with its cash cow.