AI search is the use of AI systems to answer a query with a synthesized response rather than a ranked list of links. It is an umbrella term covering Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode, AI assistants like ChatGPT and Perplexity, and other answer engines that generate a direct answer.
For brands, AI search changes the goal of discovery. Instead of competing for a position in a list of blue links, you are competing to be named, cited, or recommended inside the generated answer, which is the outcome that AI visibility measures.