The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is pushing for broader choice in online search, and artificial intelligence is now firmly part of that conversation.
The regulator has strengthened proposals that would require Google to give people more freedom when selecting a search service on Android devices and Chrome. The updated plan could allow AI assistants to appear alongside traditional search engines, reflecting how quickly tools such as ChatGPT and Perplexity are changing the way people find information online.
Rather than treating conversational AI as separate from search, the CMA is responding to a market where users increasingly turn to AI assistants for research, recommendations and everyday questions.
AI Assistants Could Join Google’s Search Choice Screen
Under the strengthened proposal, Google would need to give users an opportunity to select an eligible search service when they first use an Android device or Chrome. Users would also receive another choice prompt each year, giving them an opportunity to reconsider their preferred service.
The important change is that those options would not necessarily be limited to traditional search engines. AI assistants could qualify for inclusion if they meet the technical, security and other eligibility requirements established under the proposed system.
That could put conversational AI services much closer to the point where users decide how they want to search the internet. Instead of downloading an AI app or deliberately visiting another service, people could encounter an AI-powered alternative during the setup process itself.
ChatGPT and Perplexity Are Reshaping Search Habits
The CMA specifically pointed to services such as ChatGPT and Perplexity when explaining why its search choice proposals needed to evolve. Both platforms have expanded beyond basic chatbot interactions and increasingly help users research topics, compare products, locate information and navigate the web.
That shift is making the traditional definition of a search engine less useful. A person looking for an answer no longer needs to type a few keywords into a search box and work through a page of links. They can ask a detailed question and receive a synthesized response instead.
For AI companies, inclusion on a search choice screen could also create another route to distribution. Search competition is increasingly about where users begin their online journey, not simply which company provides the familiar list of blue links.
Publisher Attribution Becomes Part of the Search Debate
Publishers are also included in the CMA’s strengthened proposal. Search providers appearing through the choice mechanism would be expected to fairly attribute publisher content so users can understand where information came from and access the original source.
That issue has become more important as generative AI moves deeper into search. AI services can provide direct answers that may reduce the need for users to click through to websites, creating questions about attribution, referral traffic and how publishers receive value when their material contributes to AI-generated responses.
Making sources clearly visible could therefore become an important part of how AI-powered search services compete in the UK. It also shows that regulators are looking beyond consumer choice and considering how the changing search experience affects the wider online information ecosystem.
CMA Regulation of Google Search Is Already Underway
The latest proposal forms part of a broader regulatory process surrounding Google’s search business in the UK. In October 2025, the CMA designated Google as having Strategic Market Status in general search and search advertising services under the UK’s digital markets competition regime.
That designation allows the regulator to introduce targeted requirements addressing competition concerns. The CMA subsequently proposed measures covering publisher controls, ranking practices, data portability and greater user choice.
Some requirements have already moved forward. The regulator introduced measures concerning publisher content and later imposed requirements covering fair ranking and data portability. The strengthened search-choice proposal represents another part of that wider regulatory effort.
Google’s Position Makes Default Search Choices Important
Google remains a major gateway to online information in the UK. When the CMA announced its earlier proposals, it said Google accounted for more than 90% of general search queries in the country.
That scale makes default settings particularly important. Although consumers can already install competing search engines and AI assistants, many users continue using the service already configured on their device or browser.
Giving people a more visible choice during setup could make alternative services easier to discover. If AI assistants qualify for those screens, the competitive landscape could expand beyond traditional companies that have historically challenged Google in search.
AI Is Blurring the Line Between Search Engines and Assistants
Search and generative AI are rapidly moving into the same territory. AI assistants are adding web browsing, research and real-time information capabilities, while established search companies are integrating generative AI directly into their products.
Google itself has pushed AI further into Search through experiences such as AI Overviews and AI Mode. Meanwhile, companies behind conversational assistants are building products that increasingly function as alternatives to conventional search.
The result is a market where the distinction between “search engine” and “AI assistant” is becoming harder to maintain. The CMA’s revised proposal reflects that change by focusing more broadly on the services people actually use to find information.
Distribution Could Become a Bigger Battleground for AI Search
Model quality gets much of the attention in the AI industry, but distribution may become just as important. An AI service can offer powerful search capabilities and still struggle to challenge an incumbent if users rarely encounter it.
Choice screens could alter that dynamic by placing competing services directly in front of Android and Chrome users. Even a small change in how people select their default service could give emerging AI search providers greater visibility.
It does not guarantee that users will abandon Google. It does, however, create another point where AI companies can compete for attention before a search habit becomes established.
What Happens Next
The CMA is consulting on the strengthened proposals before making a final decision. Feedback from Google, competing search providers, AI companies, publishers and other interested groups could influence how the final requirements work.
Questions around eligibility will be especially important. The final framework will need to determine which services qualify for inclusion and what standards they must meet around security, functionality and publisher attribution.
The broader direction is already becoming clearer. AI assistants are no longer sitting outside the traditional search market. They are becoming another way people discover information, and regulators are beginning to design competition rules around that reality.
What This Means for the AI Industry
The UK’s proposal adds another dimension to the rapidly changing AI search market. Competition is no longer limited to which company has the strongest model or the best search index. Access to users, default settings and placement inside major operating systems and browsers are becoming part of the contest.
For companies building AI assistants, appearing alongside established search engines could provide a significant new distribution channel. For publishers, stronger attribution requirements could influence how their content appears when AI systems generate answers.
The final rules will determine how far those changes go. What is already evident is that conversational AI has become important enough to enter a regulatory framework originally designed around search engines.
Sources
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) — CMA strengthens proposals allowing people choice over their search service
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-strengthens-proposals-allowing-people-choice-over-their-search-service
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) — Google’s general search and search advertising services
https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/googles-general-search-and-search-advertising-services
