Google could be about to drastically change following controversial AI responses

As one of the Big Five (Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft), Google is among the largest companies in the tech world.

The search engine giant has since grown to be much more, and as Google delves deeper into the realm of artificial intelligence, concerns arise about where things are headed next.

Now, Google has been warned that it could soon have to overhaul its AI offerings and be forced to promote its rivals after again being accused of holding a monopoly.

The UK's Competitions and Markets Authority is coming down hard on Google, declaring that it might have to offer publishers more control over the content used for its AI responses.

There's been immense backlash over Google's introduction of the AI overview snippet, effectively scraping answers from sites across the web and passing them off as its own.

The first of these changes suggests that Google would have to give users the option to use a different search engine to get their information.

It's thought that Google is the first tech giant being targeted by the Competitions and Markets Authority under a new outline of digital market laws.

Considering Google accounts for around 90% of searches in the UK, and is far and away the most popular search engine around the world, this is a major move. As reported by The Independent, Google helps more than 200,000 UK businesses reach their customers.

The CMA launched an investigation into Google back in January 2025, deeming that the company's "strategic market status" means it has to obey certain rules when it comes to conduct.

Google has apparently said it will work 'constructively' with the CMA but claims the current plans present 'challenges' to the company. Measures could include 'choice screens' that suggest alternative search engines, while 'fair ranking' measures would allow users to compare search results. Importantly, publishers could soon decide whether their content is used in the controversial AI overviews.

Oliver Bethell, senior director of competition at Google, admitted: "The CMA has today reiterated that 'strategic market status' does not imply that anti-competitive behaviour has taken place - yet this announcement presents clear challenges to critical areas of our business in the UK.

"We're concerned that the scope of the CMA's considerations remains broad and unfocused, with a range of interventions being considered before any evidence has been provided.

"The UK has historically benefited from early access to our latest innovations, but punitive regulations could change that.

"Proportionate, evidence-based regulation will be essential to preventing the CMA's roadmap from becoming a roadblock to growth in the UK."

Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the CMA, added: "Google search has delivered tremendous benefits - but our investigation so far suggests there are ways to make these markets more open, competitive and innovative.

"Today marks an important milestone in our implementation of the new Digital Markets Competition Regime in the UK.

"Alongside our proposed designation of Google's search activities, we have set out a roadmap of possible future action to improve outcomes for people and businesses in the UK."

Following a consultation period, a final decision is due to be made in October 2025.