Google has begun deploying its AI Overviews, a generative search tool, in Spain and seven other European countries, the company announced on March 26, 2026. The rollout follows initial testing in the United States beginning in May 2024, and represents a significant expansion of the AI-powered search experience to a region that previously resisted its implementation.
AI Overviews present users with concise, artificially intelligence-generated summaries at the top of search results pages. According to a recent academic study, these overviews appear in nearly three out of ten searches in Spain related to informational content. The study, conducted by Clara Soteras and Maria-José Cachón, found that the feature is utilized in approximately 29.8% of searches concerning media content.
The new feature is primarily appearing in searches for informational content, focusing on queries that request “how,” “why,” or “when,” as well as those employing terms like “formula,” “list,” or “examples.” Searches with local intent, transactional goals, or navigational purposes currently do not trigger AI Overviews. This aligns with global findings from Ahrefs, which indicated that 99% of searches displaying AI Overviews were driven by informational intent.
The presence of AI Overviews is notably limited in searches related to breaking news, appearing in only around 6% of such queries. This suggests Google is exercising caution in applying the technology to rapidly evolving events. The rollout in Spain includes support for both Spanish and English language searches.
Prior to the official launch, Google conducted unofficial tests of AI Overviews in Spain. As of March 26, 2026, the technology has reportedly reached an estimated one billion Google users worldwide.
