As of December 2025, AI will not completely replace Google Search by 2026, but it is fundamentally changing *how* people access information. Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), powered by the Gemini AI model, is integrating AI-powered overviews directly into search results, offering synthesised answers rather than solely lists of links.

Currently, SGE in Australia (available to users who opt-in via Search Labs) functions by analysing information from across the web to provide a conversational summary at the top of the search results page. This overview includes citations linking back to source websites. Google’s systems now include the ability to refine these AI overviews through follow-up questions, creating a more interactive experience. The underlying technology relies on Large Language Models (LLMs) trained on massive datasets, including Australian websites, to understand and respond to queries. Google has announced that in 2026, SGE will continue to expand its capabilities, including more visual and multimodal responses. Importantly, Google’s ranking algorithms still heavily influence which websites are considered by the AI when generating these summaries, meaning traditional SEO principles remain relevant. Compliance with Australian privacy laws is a key consideration for Google in how it processes and displays information within SGE.

Essentially, Google is evolving from a directory of websites to an AI-powered information synthesiser, but it still relies on the web as its data source and uses ranking signals to determine relevance.