The internet’s getting smarter — or so we thought. As AI-powered search assistants become more popular, something odd is happening. They’re great at giving quick answers, but when it comes to links, they seem to have a blind spot.
A new study found that AI search tools send users to 404 error pages almost three times more often than Google. Imagine searching for something important, clicking the first link — and boom, “Page Not Found.” It’s happening a lot more than people realise!
The Broken Path: What the Numbers Reveal
According to the research, 2.38% of all URLs mentioned by ChatGPT directed users to error pages — typically 404s — in contrast to only 0.84% from Google’s top search results.
That might seem like a minor percentage, but when considering the vast scale of AI usage, it creates a concerning scenario. For every hundred people following ChatGPT’s web recommendations, more than two end up at a dead end — quite literally.
Claude ranked second with 0.58% of broken links among clicked URLs. Copilot recorded 0.34%, Perplexity had 0.31%, and Gemini noted 0.21%. Mistral achieved the lowest rate at 0.12%, although it also directs the least traffic to websites. This experience not only wastes time but also undermines user trust.
Why AI Keeps Sending You to 404s
So what’s really going wrong behind the scenes? Two major reasons stand out:
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Outdated Internet Snapshots: ChatGPT and similar models don’t actually “browse” the web live. They work from stored data — a snapshot of what the internet looked like at the time of training. But the web changes every day. Pages move, content gets updated, sites vanish. So when AI fetches an old link, there’s a good chance it’s long gone.
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Hallucinated Links: The bigger issue is what researchers call link hallucination. Basically, the AI guesses. It tries to sound confident and creates URLs that look real but never existed. Something like examplebrand.com/latest-insights-2024 might sound legit — until it sends you straight to a 404.
Is It Really That Serious?
Right now, not quite. Google still drives the vast majority of website traffic. AI assistants, for now, bring in only a small slice of visitors. But that might change soon.
Here’s why: studies suggest that 74% of new web pages already include AI-generated content. That means fake or outdated links could soon start spreading, getting indexed, and confusing search engines even more. It’s a feedback loop — a “hallucination cycle,” if you will — that could make web navigation messier than ever.
How Businesses Can Stay Ahead
This problem isn’t just on AI developers. Website owners and marketers can protect themselves too.
Turn Your 404 Page Into a Guide, Not a Wall:
A boring “Page Not Found” hurts your brand. Add a friendly message, some useful links, or even a search bar. Show users where to go next — don’t just leave them hanging.
Keep an Eye on Your Analytics:
You might start seeing weird, non-existent URLs popping up in your traffic logs. If people are landing there from AI searches, take note.
Redirect Smartly, Not Blindly:
Don’t go overboard with 301 redirects. Only redirect URLs that consistently get hits. That way, you fix what matters without cluttering your structure.
Keep Content Fresh:
Update old blogs, check your internal links, and make sure your sitemap is current. A healthy site is the best defence against confusion — human or AI.
FAQs
Because it’s guessing. AI doesn’t “know” the web; it predicts patterns. Sometimes that includes inventing URLs that seem real but aren’t.
Indirectly, yes. Broken links damage trust, increase bounce rates, and send bad signals to users — all of which can affect long-term SEO performance.
No. Only the ones that repeatedly show up in your analytics. Too many redirects can confuse search engines.
Eventually, yes. As AI models gain access to real-time data and verification layers, hallucinated links should reduce. But for now, it’s a waiting game.
Final Thoughts
AI is fast, clever, and convenient — but it’s still learning the ropes. Google, for all its faults, relies on live data. AI, on the other hand, is still pulling from old memories.
Until that gap closes, businesses need to stay alert. Keep your site maintained, your 404s helpful, and your content fresh. The better your foundation, the less AI confusion will hurt you.
If you want help keeping your website strong, optimised, and ready for this new search era, talk to Impreza Technologies.
We help businesses stay discoverable — whether humans or AI are doing the searching.
