A new academic study and a product update from Google are drawing attention to the same issue from different angles: how people understand artificial intelligence, and how easily that understanding can be distorted.
Researchers from Iowa State University have found that the language used to describe AI can influence public perception, while Google has introduced a redesign of its Search interface that places AI-generated summaries beside traditional web results.
Study finds human-like language can mislead
The research, published in Technical Communication Quarterly, examined how often writers use human-like expressions when describing AI systems. Terms such as “think,” “know,” “understand,” and “remember” were the focus of the analysis.
“These are everyday words people use to describe what goes on in the human mind,” said Jo Mackiewicz. “But when those same terms are applied to AI, there’s also a risk of blurring the line between what humans and AI can do.”
The study analyzed the News on the Web (NOW) corpus, a dataset containing more than 20 billion words from English-language news articles published across 20 countries.
Contrary to common assumptions, the researchers found that journalists use strongly human-like language about AI less frequently than expected.
“Anthropomorphism has been shown to be common in everyday speech, but we found there’s far less usage in news writing,” Mackiewicz said.
Among the findings:
- The word “needs” appeared 661 times alongside AI-related terms
- The word “knows” appeared only 32 times when used with ChatGPT
The researchers noted that context matters. Phrases such as “AI needs large amounts of data” describe technical requirements, while expressions like “AI needs to understand reality” suggest human-like reasoning.
Jeanine Aune said some forms of language can have lasting effects on readers.
“Certain anthropomorphic phrases may even stick in readers’ minds and can potentially shape public perception of AI in unhelpful ways,” Aune said.
Google introduces side-by-side AI and web results
On Monday, April 20, 2026, Google announced an update to its Search product.
The company has introduced a dual-pane interface in its AI Mode, allowing users to view AI-generated summaries alongside traditional web results within the same screen.
According to Google, the feature is designed to handle complex, multi-step queries by synthesizing information from multiple sources while preserving access to the original content.
The update allows users to:
- Read a summarised response generated by AI
- Compare it directly with standard search listings
- Navigate to external websites to verify information
Google said the design is intended to improve how users interact with search results by combining “summarised insights with direct access to source material.”
The company added that users can still “compare sources and verify information independently.”
