Google Faces UK Push to Put AI Assistants on Android, Chrome Choice Screens

Google is facing new pressure from Britain’s competition watchdog to give users greater choice over search services on Android devices and its Chrome browser, including the option to select AI assistants such as ChatGPT and Perplexity.

The Competition and Markets Authority, or CMA, proposed the measures on Wednesday as part of its digital markets rules for Google’s search services. The regulator said users should have greater control over which services they use to find information online as AI assistants increasingly take on search-related functions.

Under the proposed system, Google would be required to display choice screens at key access points, including when users set up Android devices and when they use Chrome. The CMA also wants users to be asked regularly to select or change their default search service, potentially giving AI-based alternatives more visibility.

AI assistants would be eligible to appear on the choice screens if they meet the relevant technical and safety requirements. The proposal could therefore give services such as ChatGPT and Perplexity a more direct route to users who might otherwise continue using Google Search because it is the default option.

The CMA’s wider proposals also address how publishers’ content is used in Google’s AI-generated search features. The regulator has proposed giving publishers greater choice and transparency over the use of their material in AI features, while also seeking measures that would help search providers identify publishers and sources accurately.

Google has previously pushed back against requirements for recurring choice screens. The company has argued that Android users can already select their preferred search service and proposed a permanent settings option instead of repeated pop-up screens, which it says could create unnecessary interruptions.

The UK proposals come as regulators in other markets are also examining Google’s role in AI and search. In July, the European Commission issued binding measures requiring Google to provide competitors’ AI services with more equal access to certain Android features and to share specified search data with third-party search providers under the Digital Markets Act.

The CMA’s latest proposals will now go through a consultation process, with the regulator seeking feedback before reaching a final decision. The outcome could influence how users in Britain interact with search engines and AI assistants, while potentially giving competing services greater access to Google’s large Android and Chrome user base.