Google's AI Overviews are so confused, it can't tell if you're looking something up (Update)

Update: May 22, 2026 (3:13 PM ET): A Google spokesperson has responded to our request for comment with the following statement:

We’re aware that AI Overviews are misinterpreting some action-related queries, and we’re working on a fix, which will roll out soon

Original article: May 22, 2026 (3:08 PM ET): One of the most commonly used features in Search is its built-in dictionary. When you search for a word, a box will appear at the top of the results offering the definition. Since its introduction, AI Overviews have taken over this role. While it still works most of the time, it appears to be struggling with certain words at the moment.

A user on X has noticed that AI Overviews are getting tripped up by the word “disregard.” At the time of writing, typing disregard into Search will get Overviews to respond with “Understood! I’ll ignore the previous prompt and start fresh.” So instead of offering a definition, the AI acts as if you’re telling a chatbot to do something.

However, the issue extends far beyond the word disregard. We have found that the tool is having trouble with multiple terms. Words like “remember,” “start,” “finished,” “ignore,” and “forget” also seem to be causing the AI problems. And it looks like including the word definition doesn’t help either.

As mentioned earlier, only certain words are causing the error. It still appears to offer definitions for most other words. Android Authority has reached out to Google for comment. We will update this article if we hear back.