TECHNOLOGYTHE VERGE
The post-search Google era begins
Google is transitioning from a traditional search engine to an AI-powered agent that proactively searches and retrieves information without explicit user prompting or knowledge. This shift raises fundamental questions about whether Google can still be defined as a search engine in this new paradigm.
Related Signal
Adjacent reporting
- Google Search as you know it is over
- Buckle up: Google is set to remake search with agentic AI in 2026
- Six search engines worth trying now that Google isn’t really Google anymore
- Google announces AI-focused search bar revamp
- Odd Lots: Google’s Liz Reid on Search in an AI World (Podcast)
- Google Search Goes Agentic—and Doesn’t Need You Anymore