# ProductRise study: Google AI Mode shows prices 49% higher than traditional search

Digest AI · Marketing & Small Business · published 2026-10-01T14:11:00Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/productrise-study-google-ai-mode-shows-prices-49-higher-than-tradition

## Summary

Only 1.28% of products appearing in traditional search also appeared in AI Mode. When prices differed between the two formats, AI Mode showed the higher price 60% of the time, with a median difference of about 20%.

Katelyn Geary, Senior SEO Strategist at Break The Web, said the findings suggest AI search may not eliminate comparison shopping as intended. The study was limited to a single day of price data, and researchers caution consumers against assuming AI-powered search tools automatically find the best deals.

## Key points

- AI Mode prices averaged 49% higher than traditional search listings, ProductRise says
- Only 1.28% of traditional search products appeared in AI Mode for same queries
- AI Mode showed higher prices 60% of the time when prices differed, median gap ~20%

## Why it matters

If AI search surfaces pricier options by default, consumers lose the promised convenience of automated price comparison and may overpay without realizing cheaper alternatives exist.

## Sources

1. [Think AI found the best deal? A new study says think again](https://aol.com/articles/think-ai-found-best-deal-211132000.html) (aol.com, 2026-10-01)

## Cite

Digest AI, "ProductRise study: Google AI Mode shows prices 49% higher than traditional search", 1 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/productrise-study-google-ai-mode-shows-prices-49-higher-than-tradition

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