Tools & Platforms
AI Search
Search engines that synthesise answers from sources rather than returning a list of links.
Also known as: AI search engine,answer engine
AI search refers to search engines that synthesise direct answers from sources, with citations, rather than returning the classic list of blue links. Perplexity pioneered the consumer category; Google AI Mode (launched 2024, global by March 2026), ChatGPT Search, Felo, You.com, Phind, Komo, and Andi compete in the space. In 2026, AI search has taken meaningful market share from Google for research-style queries (explain X, compare A vs B, how does Y work) but Google still dominates navigational searches, local results, and shopping. The bigger shift: content sites now optimise for AI citation alongside traditional SEO.
