Google Search tried to counsel a user through a breakup over an NBA meme

Google Search went from finding web pages to offering emotional support for a fake breakup.

A blogger searched for a 2014 NBA meme using the phrase "hes never coming over dario"—a reference to Philadelphia 76ers draft pick Dario Saric. Instead of returning old tweets, Google's AI Overview assumed a man named Dario dumped the searcher and generated an empathetic, consoling response. The story hit 716 points on Hacker News.

Why it matters: Plain search is getting replaced by unprompted AI therapy. Google's main job was organizing information, but it now defaults to parasocial chat even when you just want a decade-old sports tweet.

Know this: The actual links were still there, tucked a few hundred pixels below the generated advice.

Maybe your search engine just wants to talk about your feelings.