Google Summaries Aren't About AI, They're About Lock-In

This EFF piece argues that Google's AI summaries, like its earlier knowledge panels and AMP, are less about answering queries well than about keeping users and their data inside Google's ecosystem, where more time on the page means more ad exposure. It notes the irony that AI mode has produced "lower monetization" via ads, and urges readers to remember that Google's monetary incentives, not the technology, drive these features.