As AI-driven answers replace the traditional list of links, the internet giant faces an identity crisis, transforming how we find information and the very web it once organized.
The End of an Era
For more than two decades, the ritual has been the same: a question, a click, and a cascade of blue links. Google, the verb and the noun, has been the undisputed gateway to the internet, a search engine so dominant it has fundamentally shaped how we access information. However, as of mid-2025, a quiet yet profound revolution is underway on its iconic, minimalist homepage, prompting a critical reevaluation of its very identity. With AI-generated answers increasingly taking center stage, the question arises: Is it time to stop referring to Google as a “search engine”?
The classic definition of a search engine is a tool that crawls and indexes the vast library of the web, and in response to a user’s query, serves up a ranked list of relevant resources. It is a librarian, pointing you to the right shelves. For years, Google perfected this role, its algorithm becoming the invisible hand guiding online discovery.
The Rise of the ‘Answer Engine’
That model, however, is rapidly being superseded by a new paradigm. The primary driver of this change is the widespread integration of “AI Overviews.” These sophisticated summaries, generated by Google’s powerful artificial intelligence, appear at the very top of the results page, providing direct, synthesized answers to user questions. For many queries, the need to click on a single blue link is evaporating.
This shift moves Google from being a guide to the information to being the source of the information. It is no longer just a librarian; it is now the author of the encyclopedia entry, written in real-time. This transforms the user from an active “searcher,” tasked with evaluating multiple sources, into a passive “asker,” receiving a single, authoritative answer.
A Paradigm Shift and Its Price
The Allure of Instant Answers
The benefits are undeniable. For straightforward questions—”What is the boiling point of water at sea level?” or “How tall is the Eiffel Tower?”—an instant, AI-generated answer is a model of efficiency. It streamlines the process, delivering facts without the friction of navigating different websites.
A Web in Peril?
However, this convenience comes with complex trade-offs that are causing significant debate among technologists, publishers, and users alike. A primary concern is the creation of a “walled garden.” The very content that fuels Google’s AI answers is sourced from millions of websites, blogs, and news outlets created by independent publishers. As Google provides more direct answers, it reduces the need for users to click through to these original sources, potentially starving them of the traffic that is their lifeblood. This creates a challenging paradox where the open web provides the raw material for a system that may ultimately diminish its vitality.
Furthermore, the authority of a direct answer from Google carries inherent risks. While the company invests heavily in accuracy and safety, AI models are not infallible. Instances of biased, out-of-context, or simply incorrect information appearing in AI Overviews have been documented, raising concerns about the potential for misinformation at an unprecedented scale.
Evolution or Revolution? The Great Debate
This fundamental change has led to a schism in how experts view the platform. Some argue this is a natural and necessary “evolution” of search, making it smarter and more intuitive. From this perspective, Google is still fulfilling its mission to “organize the world’s information,” just in a more advanced way.
Others contend this is a “revolution” that marks a definitive break from the past. They argue that Google is no longer a search engine but an “answer engine,” or more broadly, an AI-powered knowledge platform. The core function is shifting from discovery to delivery, a change with profound implications for digital literacy, competition, and the economic structure of the internet.
A New Identity for a New Era
As of June 2025, it’s clear that while the foundational technology of web indexing remains, the user-facing product is something new. Google still searches, but its primary goal is increasingly to answer. To call it merely a “search engine” is to look at the engine while ignoring the new, AI-driven vehicle it now powers. It is a hybrid, a bridge between two eras of information access, and its ongoing transformation will continue to redefine not just the company itself, but how we all find our way in the digital world.