Google's AI Mode Shows Higher Prices Than Regular Search

A study by Product Rise compared prices on Google's AI Mode and traditional Search. Researchers found that when the same product appeared in both, AI Mode showed a price 21.6% higher on average.

However, this difference is not the only issue. When looking at every product listed on both sides, AI Mode's typical price was about 49% higher. This discrepancy is significant because prices didn't match on 38% of the products they tracked, and when they didn't, AI Mode was more expensive two-thirds of the time.

Moreover, only a small percentage of products in regular Search also appeared in AI Mode for the same query, suggesting that AI Mode isn't just reshuffling existing offers, but picking different ones. The main seller was also different nearly half the time, implying that AI Mode's pitch as saving shoppers the hassle of comparing prices is misleading.