A study released by ProductRise suggests Google AI Mode may not always surface the lowest-priced products.
According to the study, AI Mode listings were, on average, 49% higher than traditional search listings.
Researchers also found that only 1.28% of products ranking in traditional search appeared in AI Mode for the same search on the same day.
When prices differed, AI Mode showed the higher price 60% of the time, with a median difference of about 20%.
AI search was supposed to eliminate the friction of comparing prices across five different tabs, but if it only serves pricier inventory by default, it hasn't saved us any work. We're trading the visible effort of opening multiple windows for the invisible penalty of paying more without ever seeing the cheaper option that was one tab over," said Katelyn Geary, Senior SEO Strategist, Break The Web.
Geary added that when algorithms favor more expensive products and frequently swap out sellers, they can fundamentally change how shoppers discover products online.
The study was limited to prices displayed on a single day, but researchers say consumers should not assume AI-powered search tools will automatically find the best deal. Instead, shoppers may still benefit from comparing prices across multiple retailers and search results before making a purchase.
