Google has begun testing a feature in Google Search that modifies article headlines and website titles using artificial intelligence.
Various screenshots and tests show that over recent months, some news headlines appearing in search results have been altered without input from original authors. This means that users reported several discrepancies between the displayed titles and those written by editorial teams.
Google confirmed the experiment, describing it as a limited test affecting a small number of search results. The company said the system identifies alternative text from a webpage that may better align with a user’s query. However, Google clarified that if the feature is expanded, it would not rely on generative AI to create entirely new headlines.
Examples include simplified or rephrased titles that significantly change tone or meaning. In some cases, nuanced or descriptive headlines were reduced to shorter, more generic versions.
Although publishers commonly use separate SEO titles alongside article headlines, these are typically created by editors.
Many content editors on X opined that altering headlines could further reduce publisher control and weaken the connection between original content and how it is presented to users.
Google has previously tested similar headline modifications in its Discover feed, where such changes were later expanded after improving user engagement metrics.
