Google's AI-powered Search feature has reportedly run into a strange technical issue, with its AI Overviews tool mistakenly interpreting certain search words as direct commands instead of regular queries.
The glitch, which surfaced shortly after the company introduced its expanded AI-first search strategy at Google I/O 2026, is causing broken or incomplete responses for some users.
According to reports, users searching for words such as "disregard," "ignore," "remember," and "stop" are receiving unusual AI-generated replies instead of standard definitions or contextual search results. In several cases, the AI Overview section reportedly displays responses like, "Understood. Message disregarded," followed by a large blank space before normal search listings appear further down the page.
The issue has been noticed on both desktop and mobile versions of Google Search, although the empty sections appear less noticeable on smartphones. The behaviour quickly drew attention online, with several users sharing screenshots of the unexpected responses across social media platforms.
Google has now acknowledged the issue and confirmed that the malfunction is specifically related to AI Overviews. The company clarified that the bug is not directly connected to the broader AI Search upgrades announced during its annual developer conference.
A Google spokesperson told MacRumors that the company is aware that AI Overviews are incorrectly interpreting some action-oriented words as instructions rather than search terms. The spokesperson added that a fix for the issue is already being prepared and will be rolled out soon.
The glitch is believed to have emerged after Google integrated its Gemini 3.5 Flash artificial intelligence model into Search. The model now powers AI Mode, a feature designed to make Search more conversational and interactive. AI Mode enables users to ask follow-up questions, receive summarised information, and interact with Search in a chatbot-style format.
Earlier, speculation suggested that the issue might have been caused by recent updates to AI Mode. However, Google reportedly denied those claims and maintained that the bug is limited to how AI Overviews currently process certain command-like terms.
At Google I/O 2026, the company unveiled a major transformation of its Search platform, combining AI Overviews and AI Mode into a single conversational search experience. The updated interface is intended to help users move more naturally between traditional search results, AI-generated summaries, and interactive follow-up responses across both desktop and mobile devices.
Google described the new Search experience as an "intelligent search box" aimed at delivering more assistant-like and context-aware answers instead of relying solely on conventional blue links. The company also confirmed that Gemini 3.5 Flash will become the default AI model powering AI Mode globally.
While the latest glitch appears temporary, it highlights the growing challenges technology companies face as they integrate generative AI more deeply into everyday internet tools. As AI-driven search evolves, even small interpretation errors can significantly affect user experience and trust in automated systems.