Google’s head of search, Liz Reid, has confirmed that its flagship AI service, Gemini, continues to enjoy preferential access to search data. Although companies can tap into the basic results via Google’s Vertex AI platform, only Gemini benefits from advanced features like the Knowledge Graph and OneBox. This arrangement comes as the company faces legal scrutiny from the U.S. Justice Department over its data-sharing practices.
Since May 2024, Google has provided a service that lets AI models use its search results to improve response accuracy. While the core results remain the same for everyone, Gemini gains extra data feeds—a distinction that could significantly impact performance. If you’ve ever struggled with uneven access to resources, you can appreciate the concerns raised by such an imbalance.
Reid, who has been at the forefront of Google Search’s AI-driven changes since 2024, highlighted innovations like AI Overviews that deliver direct answers for queries. Yet, these progressive updates are now tangled in broader debates about monopolistic practices, following a ruling by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta. The Justice Department is pushing for more expansive data-sharing, hoping to level the playing field for other AI developers.
At the same time, AI start-ups like Anthropic, supported by Google and Amazon, have called for broader access to Google’s search data. Even as companies like Meta and OpenAI express interest, Google remains cautious—declining requests such as OpenAI’s last year. Reid has described the proposed data-sharing mandates as “extensive and invasive,” warning they could trigger security risks and force a major internal reallocation of engineering talent.
Google’s careful approach in reserving key features for Gemini is likely to intensify antitrust concerns and fuel ongoing debates about market fairness and security. For anyone watching the digital landscape evolve, this move underscores the balancing act between fostering innovation and ensuring a level playing field.
