Google has released its first core update of 2026, which is focused on just Google Discover. Google named it the February 2026 Discover core update. This one is rolling over the next two weeks or so, just English language users in the US and at some point will roll out beyond that to all countries and languages. Google wrote, "This is a broad update to our systems that surface articles in Discover."
Move over, Google Search. AI Mode is here, and it isn't going anywhere. Rumors are currently swirling around when exactly Google's AI Mode will become the default search tool on Google's homepage, replacing the classic Google Search. As we move deeper into the AI search era, many search experts believe that AI mode will inevitably replace the list of links searchers are used to seeing.
Google's AI Overviews (AIO) generate extensive summaries from multiple sources for search queries, transforming Google into an Answer Engine rather than just a Search Engine.
AI Overviews provides AI-generated summaries directly within search results, allowing users to access concise answers from online sources while reducing the need to visit original websites.