One of the most deceptive qualities of AI search is how convincingly it can present false information.
The sentences often flow naturally, the tone appears confident, and facts seem neatly organized—making even absurd suggestions sound plausible.
In June 2025, for example, the New York Post reported that Google’s AI Overview recommended adding glue to pizza sauce—a dangerous idea that still managed to seem believable.
Similarly, Kiplinger cited a study showing that over half of AI-generated life insurance advice was misleading or incorrect, with Medicare-related mistakes potentially costing users thousands.
Unlike traditional search, which shows multiple perspectives, AI condenses everything into one polished narrative.
If that narrative is built on false assumptions, the error is effectively hidden, and the answer feels trustworthy simply because it is well written.
You May Not Be Seeing the Whole Picture
AI tools aim to provide concise answers, which can save time but also limit the scope of information you receive.
Traditional search offers multiple sources for comparison, helping users identify inconsistencies or gaps.
AI, however, blends details into a single response, leaving out parts of the story without warning.
When topics are complex, disputed, or evolving, important viewpoints can disappear.
Political discussions might be stripped of opposing perspectives, while health-related answers might exclude newer studies that challenge older information.
The real danger lies in not realizing what’s missing.
AI Is Vulnerable to Misinformation and Manipulation
Since AI models learn from human-generated content, they can absorb and repeat the same falsehoods that circulate online.
Coordinated groups can also intentionally feed misleading content into AI training sources, shaping future answers.
During the July 2025 Pacific tsunami scare, SFGate reported that some AI assistants gave incorrect safety updates.
In one alarming case, Grok incorrectly told Hawaii residents that a warning had ended when it had not—potentially putting lives at risk.
Hidden Biases Can Shape Responses
AI does not create opinions; it mirrors the data it was trained on.
If certain viewpoints dominate the data, they will dominate AI responses.
Underrepresented perspectives may disappear entirely.
A Guardian report on a London School of Economics study revealed that AI tools used by English councils to assess care needs tended to downplay women’s health problems.
In identical scenarios, men’s conditions were rated as more severe, even when women’s situations were worse.
Answers May Depend on What the AI Thinks About You
AI responses can be influenced by location, language, and even subtle cues in how you phrase questions.
Some tools, like ChatGPT, store conversation history to personalize future results.
While personalization can be helpful for local recommendations, it can also create a “filter bubble” effect—limiting exposure to differing perspectives without the user realizing it.
Your Privacy Might Not Be Fully Protected
Many AI platforms store conversations, and some allow human reviewers to read them.
Google’s Gemini privacy policy, for example, states that humans review some saved chats unless the user disables the feature.
This means personal or sensitive information could be seen, stored, and used in ways users might not expect.
Even with privacy settings adjusted, you’re ultimately relying on the company’s compliance.
You’re Still Responsible for AI’s Mistakes
If you use AI-generated content, you bear the responsibility for verifying it.
Courts, schools, and employers won’t accept “the AI told me” as an excuse.
In one case, USA Today reported that ChatGPT falsely linked a law professor to a harassment scandal, leading to a defamation lawsuit.
While AI produced the false claim, anyone who repeated it could face consequences.
Final Warning: AI Search Is a Shortcut, Not a Guarantee
AI can speed up research and spark ideas, but careless use can mislead, distort facts, expose private data, and create legal trouble.
The safest approach is to treat AI responses as starting points, verify all claims, and never rely on them as the sole source of truth.