NNG – Summary: Our study shows that generative AI is reshaping search, but long-standing habits persist. Many users still default to Google, giving Gemini a fighting chance. Kate Moran, Maria Rosala and Josh Brown. August 15, 2025. Generative AI (genAI) is reshaping how people search for information. Anyone watching their content pageviews decline is currently experiencing the impact of this. But what’s behind the shift? The speed of the change is impressive, considering how deeply ingrained information-seeking habits can be. In a recent qualitative study, we asked people to bring their own research tasks into the virtual lab. We explored how users’ information-seeking behaviors are shifting in response to AI-powered search tools and chatbots. While AI offers compelling shortcuts around tedious research tasks, it isn’t close to completely replacing traditional search. But, even when people are using traditional search, the AI-generated overview that now tops almost all search-results pages steals a significant amount of attention and often shortcuts the need to visit the actual pages.

• Search Habits Are Hard to Break
• AI Changes Information-Seeking Habits
• AI Doesn’t Eliminate the Need for Search

See also The Atlantic [no paywall] – I’m a High Schooler. AI Is Demolishing My Education. The end of critical thinking in the classroom. By Ashanty Rosario