How to Turn Off AI Overview in Google and Set "Web" as Default

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Ways to Disable or Bypass AI Overview

  • Many prefer to “disable” AI Overview by simply abandoning Google Search or using it only via special modes.
  • Several mention appending udm=14 to the Google URL to force the “Web” view.
  • Some describe browser-specific tricks (e.g., custom search engines in Firefox), though instructions in the article don’t match all platforms (Ubuntu GNOME, Windows, macOS).
  • Others avoid the problem entirely by using non‑Google search engines or command-line tools that scrape SERPs as plain HTML.

Migration to Alternative Search Engines

  • Strong sentiment to switch to other engines: DuckDuckGo, Kagi, Qwant, StartPage, Brave Search, Bing.
  • DuckDuckGo’s “bangs” feature (!g, !w, etc.) is praised as a seamless fallback to Google.
  • Some note DuckDuckGo is largely Bing-backed and ad-supported but still perceived as less intrusive.
  • Kagi receives repeated positive mentions for: clean UI, “quick answers” with explicit citations, domain filters, and non-intrusive, opt‑in AI features.
  • A few say they almost never need Google anymore; others see Google as still necessary for edge cases.

Quality and Reliability of AI Overviews

  • Many examples are shared of AI Overview being factually wrong, incoherent, or internally inconsistent.
  • Some find this dangerous for medical-style queries where users may not fact-check.
  • Others report mostly positive experiences and say it often gives them exactly what they need, faster than clicking links.
  • Non-determinism is criticized: different users or times can yield different answers, making trust and reproducibility harder.
  • A minority likes that AI overviews “burn Google’s cash,” but still sees them as early-stage.

User Experience and UI Concerns

  • Frequent complaints that AI Overview and other modules push organic results far down the page, especially on mobile.
  • Some dislike the “reels-like” scrolling experience and overall visual clutter compared with older, simpler Google.
  • Others appreciate AI for quick summaries of things they already understand (e.g., syntax snippets) to avoid ad-ridden pages.

Impact on the Web and Publishers

  • Concern that AI summaries will reduce clicks to sites that rely on ads or affiliate links.
  • Some speculate Google may eventually bias AI content for commercial reasons, further distorting the ecosystem.
  • One comment notes that if sites themselves start using AI to generate content, the harm may be circular.

Views on Google’s Strategy and Culture

  • Many see AI Overview as driven by hype, shareholder pressure, and internal promotion incentives (“ship new AI” vs. improve existing products).
  • There is nostalgia for older, focused Google products and frustration with a decade of perceived missteps (Reader shutdown, chat fragmentation, Stadia, constant UI churn).
  • Some argue that as long as revenues, profits, and stock price are at records, the strategy is “working” for shareholders, even if users feel product quality is declining.
  • Others blame a fragmented, metrics-driven culture and lack of coherent vision; Google is described as fiefdoms competing for performance metrics.

Broader Reflections on AI and “Innovation”

  • Several commenters are wary of AI being bolted onto everything, calling it half-baked and unsuitable for a mainline, mass product.
  • Others defend experimentation, arguing that integrating AI into core search is a major, necessary change and will improve over time.
  • Some predict an AI investment bubble and eventual commoditization (local LLMs, cheap GPUs); others think it will remain transformative.
  • There is a theme that “innovation” is often a euphemism for user-hostile changes driven by revenue and hype rather than clear user benefit.