I don't think Google can credibly put out an assistant like this, without harming revenue. If they make it promote stuff for pay, it's worthless—you already ha

I don't think Google can credibly put out an assistant like this, without harming revenue. If they make it promote stuff for pay, it's worthless—you already have to second-guess whether it's right because it might accidentally be wrong, if it might also just be acting as a paid promoter, that puts it firmly in "easier to just not use it" territory. If they put one out but don't make it into an AI infomercial, then it eats ad revenue and investors get pissed off. But if they do nothing they're clearly headed for trouble, too. They're in a tough spot. My guess is they're release something, but keep it strictly separate from search in hopes that it won't replace search traffic. I doubt that'll be enough long-term but it might quiet fears for a while.