This initiative is part of Google's broader strategy to enhance the multimodal aspect of search, making information more accessible in various formats.

Currently, the AI podcast feature is in testing and can be accessed through Google Search Labs, requiring manual activation by users.

To generate an audio overview, users must click a button, which prompts the AI to create a podcast-style discussion relevant to their query.

The generated podcast features a dialogue between two AI voices summarizing the search results and includes a list of sources used for the summary.

Citations will accompany the audio content, detailing the number of websites referenced and providing a scrollable carousel of those sites.

There are concerns that these AI-generated summaries may reduce click-through rates for publishers, as users might find the audio sufficient.

On June 13, 2025, Google unveiled an experimental feature called Audio Overviews, which provides audio summaries for search queries.

This innovative feature allows users to receive answers in 30- to 45-second podcast-style clips, making information consumption more efficient.

Audio Overviews aim to offer a hands-free way to absorb information, catering to users who multitask or prefer audio content.

Since the launch of AI Overviews just over a year ago, Google has attracted over 1.5 billion users globally, according to CEO Sundar Pichai.

Audio Overviews reflect Google's ongoing efforts to keep users engaged within its ecosystem, potentially impacting traffic to external websites.

This move into generative AI comes amid growing competition from OpenAI's ChatGPT, which has integrated search capabilities into its chatbot.