Google users looking up a simple word are finding something else entirely: AI summaries and a tool that behaves as though it has been given an instruction instead of asked for a definition.
According to 9to5Google, the latest glitch is fueling renewed frustration over Google's push to replace straightforward search tools with AI-generated summaries that can still veer badly off course.
Posts on X showed a strange issue in Google Search. Type in words such as "disregard," "ignore," or "dismiss," and AI Overviews may respond as though the user is prompting a chatbot rather than requesting a dictionary entry.
In some cases, the result reportedly states that it will "disregard the previous prompt" rather than define the word.
Even adding "definition" to the search doesn't always resolve the problem, with the AI tool sometimes generating another prompt-style reply rather than a meaning.
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Before AI Overviews arrived, single-word searches typically returned a direct dictionary result, whether through Google's own box or a snippet from Merriam-Webster.
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Now, the direct function appears to be getting pushed aside by AI-generated results.
AI Overviews have made notable mistakes since launch — from suggesting glue on pizza to treating blinker fluid as real.
Dictionary lookups are one of the most practical uses of search. When a feature that used to work instantly is replaced with something less dependable, it can waste time and erode trust.
The glitch adds to concerns about rushed AI rollouts. Companies are asking the public to adapt to new systems before those systems can consistently handle simple tasks.
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Online commenters quickly expressed their disbelief and frustration over the glitch, highlighting widespread concern among users.
"This is a disaster," one user wrote.
"I genuinely can't believe it," another added.
"Truly annoying. Who was ever satisfied with AI customer service? Now we got AI interference at every turn," a third commented.
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