Google testing AI-generated descriptions for search snippets

Google is testing using AI to generate full search result descriptions and/or AI-summaries of your search result snippet, within the Google Search results.

There are two variations of this; (1) fully replacing your description with an AI-generated version and (2) an AI-generated summary of the search result snippet.

AI-generated description. Recently, both Paul Shaprio on X and Brodie Clark on X shared some screenshots of Google displaying AI-generated search result descriptions. They have a little Gemini logo next to them, which symbolizes it was generated using AI.

Here are one of thoe screenshots:

This is not just for Reddit results, by the way.

AI-summarized search result snippets. A couple of weeks ago, Google was also spotted testing AI-generated summaries of search result snippets. Landon Moore who shared screenshots with me on X of this in action:

Here is another one from Paul Shapiro on LinkedIn:

Why we care. Google may be replacing your search result description with an AI-generated version. The truth is, much of the time, the meta description you specified was not used by Google Search anyway. But Google often did use your content for the description. Now, Google is testing using AI to make up a new description and even summarize your search result snippet.

This may change the click-through rate from Google Search to your page and it may lead to Google writing something that you might not agree with.