Which? Are we becoming too reliant on AI search?
Nov 18, 2025
Andy Laughlin, Principal Researcher at Which?, dives into the growing reliance on AI search tools like ChatGPT and Gemini. He discusses the investigation's surprising findings, revealing that many users trust AI with high-stakes inquiries despite accuracy issues. Laughlin identifies common pitfalls, such as outdated information and the risks of sycophantic responses. He also offers practical advice for consumers to use AI safely, ensuring they assess the reliability of AI-generated information amidst rapid adoption. The future of AI's role in information access appears both promising and concerning.
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AI Search Is Becoming Mainstream Fast
- AI search is rapidly moving from experiment to mainstream use and is changing how people find information online.
- Which? found over half of adults now use AI for web search and frequent users trust it increasingly more.
Two Different Modes Of AI Search
- There are two distinct AI search modes: overview panels in traditional search and conversational AI chatbots.
- Both delegate web-reading to an engine but differ in presentation and interaction style.
Deliberate Test Exposed Costly Errors
- Which? inserted deliberate errors into test questions and some AIs failed to spot them, giving harmful advice.
- ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot advised based on the wrong ISA allowance while others corrected and handled the excess.