Google AI Overviews are broken right now, but only for very specific searches.
For reference, word definitions on Google Search are now no longer powered by the original dictionary. Instead, they’re powered by AI Overviews. And as it turns out, when asking for definitions, the AI tool can sometimes register prompts as commands.
The blunder was first highlighted by users on X (via TechCrunch).
When you type in words like “ignore,” “dismiss,” or “disregard” into the Google Search bar, the search engine is supposed to return the definition of the words first. That’s how Google Search has behaved for years now.
Currently, if you type in said words, AI Overviews registers your prompt as a command and returns with something like “Understood. I have disregarded your previous message.”
Other prompts, including “ignore synonyms,” would regularly return with synonyms for the word “ignore.” Currently, AI Overviews returns with “I understand you are instructing me to avoid using synonyms. How can I assist you with your work or questions today? Let me know exactly what you would like to discuss!”
This isn’t a huge blunder by any means, but it definitely brings a bump in user workflows. We expect Google to rollout a hotfix for this relatively quickly.
