Google must have gone crazy. It's changing article and website headlines in search results using AI

Since the turn of the millennium, Google Search has been synonymous with trustworthiness on the internet. Users knew that the link they clicked on was exactly what its title promised. This unwritten agreement is now beginning to crumble. Google has confirmed that it is experimenting with rewriting article headlines and website names using generative AI – directly in classic search results, not just in AI overviews, which have already dramatically changed how we use Search.

Editors discovered headlines they never wrote

According to Google spokespeople for The Verge, this is a “small” and “limited” experiment that has not yet been approved for wider deployment. The test does not only concern news websites but also affects other types of pages. The goal is to “better adapt headlines to user queries and support interaction with web content”.

And how was this discovered? In recent months, The Verge editors have noticed multiple instances where headlines appeared in search results that they never wrote. These headlines did not match the publication’s editorial style and were not marked in any way as being modified by Google.

It is quite common for websites to use different headlines for Google Search results than those that appear in the title after clicking. This is a way to attract more visitors or to get the algorithm to recommend specific content more than that of competitors. In such cases, headlines are created directly by editors or administrators, or at least under their supervision. However, Google is now interfering with headlines completely without their knowledge.

From criticism to apparent product promotion

What might such a change look like in practice? The Verge shared several specific examples:

The original headline „I used the ‘cheat on everything’ AI tool and it didn’t help me cheat on anything“ (I used the ‘cheat on everything’ AI tool and it didn’t help me cheat on anything) was shortened by Google to just five words: „’Cheat on everything’ AI tool”. Thus, a critical article suddenly became an apparent promotion of a product that the editorial team definitely does not recommend.

Another example: the headline „Microsoft is rebranding Copilot in the most Microsoft way possible“ was transformed into „Copilot Changes: Marketing Teams at it Again“ – a phrasing that The Verge editorial team would never use, because capitalizing every word is simply not their style.

Why is Google doing this?

Google claims that the goal of the experiment is to “identify content on the page that could serve as a useful and relevant headline for a user’s query”. In other words, it wants to adapt headlines to what people are searching for, thereby increasing the likelihood that they will click on the result.

Google must have gone crazy. It's changing article and website headlines in search results using AI Adam Kurfürst News Adam Kurfürst News

Google representatives also stated that if the experiment were ever to expand, the resulting form would not use generative AI. However, they did not explain how Google would rewrite headlines without generative AI.

Concerns of publishers and SEO specialists

Criticism from publishers is sharp. Sean Hollister of The Verge compares the situation to “a bookstore tearing covers off books and changing their titles”. Editorial teams put significant effort into creating headlines that are truthful, interesting, and appealing without resorting to clickbait. Google is now potentially taking this control away from them.

Louisa Frahm, SEO Director at the sports portal ESPN, wrote on LinkedIn: “After more than 10 years in SEO for news websites, I have found that the headline is the most important element for attracting readers.” According to her, there is a risk that changing headlines and potentially distorting facts will erode reader trust in the long term. Her post was highlighted by Search Engine Land.

The problem also has a practical dimension. Google Search already drives fewer visitors to websites than before, and AI links do not compensate for this decline. Rewriting headlines could further worsen the situation, as changes in tone or meaning affect click-through rates.

Dangerous precedent from Google Discover

The development of a similar feature in Google Discover is a warning sign. There, Google also started with an “experiment” of rewriting headlines – and a month later announced that it had become a full-fledged feature because it “shows good user satisfaction.”

In Discover, AI headlines are already causing problems. The Verge documents cases where headlines directly lied – for example, claiming that PlayStation Portal gained a 1080p streaming mode, while in reality, it was a higher bitrate. Or the completely misleading “US reverses foreign drone ban” for an article that described the exact opposite.

What does this mean for the future of search?

Google conducts tens of thousands of live experiments annually, and by no means do all of them make it into the final version. On the other hand, the Google Discover case shows that the label “experiment” certainly does not mean that the feature will not be rolled out.

Google must have gone crazy. It's changing article and website headlines in search results using AI Adam Kurfürst News Adam Kurfürst News

Sean Hollister summarizes: “Changing headlines and their meaning makes journalism less trustworthy at a time when powerful institutions are trying to discredit it.” He adds that while he used to be able to rely on classic blue links as a relatively unedited experience, he is no longer sure about that.

What is your opinion on Google rewriting article headlines without the authors’ knowledge?

Sources: The Verge, 9to5Google, Search Engine Land