AI search answers are no substitute for good sources

According to the article, some of the limitations and risks associated with relying solely on AI Overviews for information include the removal of user's judgment, agency, and opportunity to learn, as well as the potential for providing incorrect or misleading information. AI Overviews may be suitable for factual information, but they can fall short when it comes to ideas, opinions, and advice. Additionally, there is a concern about trusting the answers received through the service, as inaccuracies and misinformation can be presented without a clear indication of their unreliability.

AI Overviews can impact the user's ability to exercise judgment and engage in deeper learning in several ways.

Firstly, AI Overviews provide a single answer to a query instead of a list of documents or a variety of perspectives. This can potentially limit the user's exposure to diverse viewpoints and hinder their ability to critically evaluate different sources of information. Users may be tempted to accept the provided answer without questioning or seeking additional information, thus reducing their engagement in deeper learning.

Secondly, AI Overviews may inadvertently promote a reliance on AI-generated answers, leading users to become less skilled at information retrieval and evaluation. This reliance could weaken users' information literacy skills over time, making it more challenging for them to find, evaluate, and apply information effectively.

Thirdly, as seen in the examples provided, AI Overviews can sometimes provide incorrect or misleading information. Users who rely solely on these generated answers may be misinformed, and without the skills to critically evaluate the information, they may not realize the limitations or inaccuracies present in the AI-generated content.

Lastly, the generation of AI Overviews removes the user's agency in the search process. When users are presented with a list of search results, they have the opportunity to exercise judgment in selecting the most relevant and reliable sources. With AI Overviews, this judgment process is bypassed, potentially diminishing users' critical thinking skills in the long run.

In summary, while AI Overviews can be useful for quickly providing factual information, their use can also have unintended consequences, such as limiting the user's ability to exercise judgment, engage in deeper learning, and develop essential information literacy skills.