The Rise of AI Overviews and Their Impact on Public Perception
Philip Morris International is a company with a complex and controversial history. Known for its role in the global tobacco industry, the company has long been associated with aggressive marketing of addictive, cancer-causing cigarettes that have contributed to numerous smoking-related deaths and diseases worldwide.
However, when a colleague recently conducted a Google search for the company, the results were unexpected. Google’s AI overview — a feature that provides a “snapshot of key information about a topic or question” at the top of some search results — presented a surprisingly positive summary of the company. This AI-generated content cited Philip Morris International’s website and described the company as “a leading international tobacco company working to transition from cigarettes to smoke-free products.”
The summary also highlighted the company’s focus on a “future without cigarettes,” its efforts to reduce post-consumer waste, and its commitment to improving sustainability within its supply chain. However, this portrayal omitted any mention of the company’s well-documented history of misleading the public about the health risks of smoking.
Expert Criticism of AI Summaries
University of Sydney public health professor Becky Freeman was among those who found the AI overview misleading. She pointed out that the summary appeared to be a “regurgitation of Philip Morris International’s PR materials” without acknowledging the company’s negative press or its history of deceptive practices.
Dr. Freeman emphasized that the AI summary failed to address key issues such as the company’s internal research from the 1980s, which confirmed the harmful effects of smoking. She also noted that the summary did not mention how Philip Morris had lied about the addictive nature of smoking, despite clear evidence of its knowledge.
In addition, she highlighted that other major tobacco companies, including British American Tobacco and James Hardie (formerly Australia’s largest manufacturer of asbestos products), were similarly represented in AI overviews that drew heavily from their own websites. These summaries often omitted critical information about the companies’ histories and the harms they caused.
The Broader Implications of AI Search Results
The issue extends beyond Philip Morris. When the ABC searched for other companies with complex histories, it found that AI overviews sometimes relied on sources directly from the companies themselves, resulting in promotional tones. For example, British American Tobacco was portrayed as focusing on an “A Better Tomorrow” strategy, while James Hardie was described as a “global leader” in asbestos-free fibre cement, without mentioning the ongoing health impacts of asbestos in Australia.
This raises concerns about how AI-powered search results are shaping public perception. Researchers and industry experts suggest that businesses are now racing to optimize their websites to ensure that AI uses them as sources for information, aiming to secure a more favorable representation.
Google does not allow companies to pay for direct changes to their AI overviews, but the company acknowledges that these summaries can be inaccurate. The dynamic nature of AI results means that even the same query can produce different responses depending on factors like timing, user intent, and current events.
The Future of AI and Web Traffic
As AI continues to evolve, it is reshaping how people access and engage with information. Eye-tracking research shows that users are increasingly interacting with AI overview content, while web publishers and news outlets report declining traffic as fewer people click through links.
Some preliminary research suggests that the way information is presented in AI overviews could influence people’s attitudes. For instance, Mr. Harry Sanders, founder of Melbourne-based online marketing agency StudioHawk, noted that users referred by AI are more likely to become customers than those coming from personal recommendations.
Ongoing Research and Uncertainties
Researchers at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) are examining the impact of AI overviews as part of the Australian Search Experience 2.0 project. Dr. Ashwin Nagappa and his colleague Dr. Kateryna Kasianenko have found that AI tends to give prominence to commercial sources, though it is unclear whether this is a widespread trend or limited to specific topics.
While Google claims it does not prioritize commercial sources, it emphasizes that AI overviews are based on the most reliable and helpful information available. However, there are still many unanswered questions about how AI influences public perception and what role regulation should play in ensuring transparency and accuracy.
For now, users are advised to approach AI-generated content with caution, as the rules governing its use remain largely undefined. As AI continues to shape the digital landscape, the need for critical engagement with information becomes more important than ever.
