# AI Search

> A search experience that uses generative AI to synthesize answers from retrieved sources instead of only listing links.

- Category: AI-Native Product
- Stage: Rising
- Also called: Answer engine, Generative search
- Canonical: https://www.joelcsaji.com/ai-dictionary/ai-search

## Plain English

Search gives you an answer, usually with sources, rather than only a page of results.

## Example

A user asks for a product comparison and receives a summarized answer with cited reviews and documentation.

## Why it matters

AI search changes how people discover information, how brands publish content, and how source trust is judged.

## Related

- [RAG](https://www.joelcsaji.com/ai-dictionary/retrieval-augmented-generation)
- [Citations](https://www.joelcsaji.com/ai-dictionary/citations)
- [Grounding](https://www.joelcsaji.com/ai-dictionary/grounding)

## Sources

- [Google Cloud Generative AI Glossary](https://docs.cloud.google.com/docs/generative-ai/glossary)
- [IBM: Retrieval-Augmented Generation](https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/retrieval-augmented-generation)