By Richard Lee
Search is changing – and AI is now doing the answering
Search is evolving fast. It’s everywhere, and it’s being driven by AI.
But here’s the key shift:
AI doesn’t just search. It answers.
That change marks the start of a new digital era — one that’s already reshaping how people discover brands, compare options, and make decisions.
The traditional “click economy” is being disrupted. Instead of browsing websites and comparing results, people increasingly get what they need immediately through AI-generated summaries.
In other words: the days of endless surfing are fading.
And this matters hugely for charities.
Why this matters for charities
Nearly half of Google searches in the UK already display an AI alternative — and that figure is expected to rise quickly. The future is clear:
AI Overviews will soon be a standard part of search.
For charities, this creates a major challenge — and a major opportunity.
The AI Overview is becoming a critical part of the consideration stage, where people decide:
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Should I donate to this charity?
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Is this organisation trustworthy?
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Should I leave a gift in my Will?
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Who are the best charities in this cause area?
AI is now acting like a co-pilot in decision-making — helping people choose service providers, holiday destinations… and increasingly, charities too.
So the question becomes:
What will AI say about you when someone asks?
Your AI ‘story’ is being written without you
AI Overviews aren’t written by your charity.
They are created by LLM crawlers — systems that scan the internet and pull together information to form an overview of your organisation.
These crawlers don’t just look at your website. They search the full digital landscape, including:
✅ web pages
✅ news coverage
✅ reviews and quotes
✅ images and video
✅ lists, tables, and structured data
✅ PR articles with links back to your site
That means two things:
1) Your narrative is built from whatever content AI can find
If your online presence is weak, inconsistent, or unclear, the AI Overview will reflect that.
2) Negativity can surface fast
If there is criticism, confusion, or damaging information online, it can quickly become part of the summary AI delivers.
That’s why charities must take control of their digital story.
Don’t let AI define you. Work with it to accelerate growth.
AI overviews will shape conversion rates
AI is changing not only discovery — but also conversion.
As AI gives faster answers, users will demand:
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clearer messaging
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fewer steps
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stronger proof
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more trust signals
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more immediate confidence
We already know that complicated donor journeys reduce conversion rates. AI adds another risk:
If your AI Overview is vague, confusing, or unconvincing, you can lose a supporter before they even reach your site.
So charities must focus on answering the big questions clearly and consistently.
Your new priority: identify the questions people ask – and publish the answers.
Trust will be the most valuable asset in an AI world
AI is growing rapidly — but so is public scepticism.
People know content can be automated. They know headlines can be manipulated. They know AI can hallucinate or oversimplify.
That’s why trust and authenticity will become the most powerful tools charities have.
To build credibility, charities need content that feels real and human, such as:
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authentic supporter stories
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quotes from real experts
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beneficiary voices
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genuine community content
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user-generated content
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evidence and impact proof
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consistent messaging across platforms
Communities built on trust will become game-changing in the AI era.
What is an LLM?
LLM stands for Large Language Model — and these are driving the AI boom.
LLMs use deep learning and vast datasets to understand and generate human language. They continuously evolve based on user interaction.
Some of the most well-known LLMs include:
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ChatGPT
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Claude
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Llama
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Perplexity
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DeepSeek
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Microsoft Copilot
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Google Gemini
LLMs are rapidly transforming daily life — from healthcare to business to finance.
And now they’re transforming charity, too.
Google, Gemini, and the race to own search
Google has dominated global search for years, controlling the vast majority of traffic.
But AI has created new competition.
People are increasingly using AI tools because they provide:
✅ more context
✅ faster answers
✅ better summaries
✅ fewer clicks
In response, Google accelerated its own AI development and launched Gemini, its large language model and AI assistant.
Gemini is now being rolled out globally and is expected to permanently reshape how people search and decide.
With billions of Google searches processed every day, this shift is not niche — it’s the future.
For charities, the message is simple:
Align to AI search or risk being left behind.
Search isn’t just Google anymore
Search behaviour is changing beyond Google too — especially among younger people.
Gen Z often uses platforms like:
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TikTok
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Instagram
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YouTube
…to search for places, products, and services. It’s not just about information — it’s about vibe, trust, and social proof.
That matters for charities too.
If your audience includes teens, students, or younger professionals, your visibility must extend beyond traditional search.
Search is now truly everywhere.
A quick guide to key AI tools
Here’s how the major tools differ:
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ChatGPT — great for creative writing, deep research, and broad problem-solving
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Perplexity — strong for research with citations and real-time references
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Claude — excellent for professional and creative writing
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Llama — powers AI across Meta platforms (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger)
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Microsoft Copilot — integrates with Microsoft 365 for productivity
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Google Gemini — built into Google’s ecosystem and driving AI Overviews
The environmental impact of AI
AI also comes with environmental cost.
Some researchers suggest AI could consume energy at a scale similar to a country by 2027.
Why? Because AI relies on massive data centres that require:
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huge amounts of electricity
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vast water usage for cooling
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constant storage and processing power
There is limited transparency from large tech companies, but individuals and organisations can reduce waste by managing “dark data” — such as:
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bloated email inboxes
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thousands of unused photos
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unnecessary stored files
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redundant cloud storage
A simple digital declutter can reduce wasted energy and support sustainability.
Final thought: your digital story needs control, clarity and consistency
AI is reshaping how people discover and evaluate charities.
Your organisation is being summarised and judged — sometimes before a donor even reaches your website.
So the priority for 2026 is clear:
✅ publish strong, authentic, multimodal content
✅ answer the big supporter questions clearly
✅ strengthen trust through evidence and community
✅ monitor and shape your online reputation
✅ build a narrative AI can understand — and supporters can believe
Because AI is here, and it’s already influencing decisions.
Now is the time to make sure your charity is represented accurately — and powerfully.