Two classes of AI search exist today. The first, exemplified by ChatGPT and Perplexity, replaces search entirely: the user converses with the model. The second, exemplified by Google AI Overviews and Bing Copilot, layers AI-generated summaries on top of a traditional results page. Both reduce click-through volume to publishers and demand a new visibility discipline.
AI visibility glossary
AI search
AI search is the category of search experience where an AI model writes a direct answer to the user, with sources cited inline or in a sidebar, instead of returning ten ranked links.