If you've interacted with the likes of Claude , ChatGPT , and Gemini , you've noticed that in addition to everything else they do, these AI chatbots can search the web for you. Depending on what you’re looking for, it can be easier to find more relevant results through a chatbot, which may explain why Google is so keen to push AI Mode for its own search engine.

When asked to search the web, the latest versions of these bots are combining elements of traditional web search (they're essentially just googling on your behalf) with knowledge they are able to pull out of their training data. Everything is then packaged and formatted in the now-familiar, polished generative AI style.

It's the added AI elements on top of the traditional googling where the differences come in, and that means AI-powered search may not always be the best option.

When to Use AI for Web Search

If you're looking up something simple and widely known—like the height of the Empire State Building—then AI search is a pretty safe bet.…