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May 22, 2026 • Russell Brandom

You Can No Longer Google the Word 'Disregard'

You Can No Longer Google the Word 'Disregard' You Can No Longer Google the Word 'Disregard' You Can No Longer Google the Word 'Disregard'

You Can No Longer Google the Word 'Disregard'

The Problem

After Google rolled out a completely new Search experience this week, foregrounding AI summaries and pushing traditional "10 blue links" far down the page, a critical edge case has emerged: searching for the word "disregard" now effectively breaks the search interface.

What Happens

  • When you type "disregard" into Google Search, you receive a massive block of empty space
  • The Merriam-Webster dictionary link is still present, but buried below empty AI response space
  • The AI response serves no conceivable value to users searching for this word
  • Users are forced to scroll past useless white space to find actual results

The Comparison

Bing's Approach: The same search in Bing (which has been less aggressive with AI summaries) provides useful information without breaking the interface. As the author notes:

"I have been a professional tech journalist for nearly 15 years, and before today, I cannot think of a single time when a Bing search result was more valuable than the Google equivalent."

Key Takeaways

  • Scale reveals edge cases: Google's massive user base means poorly tested AI features expose critical UX failures
  • AI summaries aren't always better: Foregrounding AI without proper value assessment creates broken user experiences
  • Complexity without value: This is a textbook example of adding "cool" AI features that actively harm usability
  • Competition emerges: For the first time in over a decade, a competing search engine delivers objectively better results for common queries

The Broader Implication

This incident exemplifies the danger of prioritizing AI integration over core functionality—a broken tool that adds complexity without solving real user problems.