Google's election AI Overviews: sometimes shy, often flattering, and unsure who the AfD is
Ourtake
Google's election answers leaned on flattering adjectives and YouTube, and nobody outside Google can say when they show up.
What happened
AlgorithmWatch ran 4,480 searches on the 2026 state elections in eastern Germany using Google's Search Researcher Result API. It found AI Overviews appeared inconsistently, drew on a few sources including YouTube, and often described parties and candidates in flattering or contradictory terms. Google said the features are designed to be neutral, and the group calls for transparency and liability rules.