The Pulse
UK CMA Adds AI Assistants to Proposed Android Choice Screens
The UK Competition and Markets Authority has strengthened proposals requiring Google to offer search-service choice screens on Android and Chrome. Eligible AI assistants such as ChatGPT and Perplexity could appear alongside conventional sea
AI.info Team ·
The CMA Wants Google’s Choice Screen to Include AI
The UK Competition and Markets Authority is asking Google to put AI assistants on the same search-service choice screens as conventional providers, setting up a direct challenge to the way Android and Chrome steer users toward Google Search.
Under strengthened proposals published on 23 September 2026, people using an Android phone or opening Chrome for the first time would be offered a choice of search services. Google would also have to show the prompt again every year, allowing users to select a different default provider.
The plan is still under consultation. The CMA is accepting views until 9 October and expects to make a final decision on the conduct requirement by the end of 2026.
ChatGPT and Perplexity Could Qualify
The updated proposal responds to the spread of services that answer questions directly rather than sending users through a conventional list of web links. The CMA specifically names ChatGPT and Perplexity as examples of newer services that are changing how people search for information in the UK.
AI assistants would not receive automatic placement. They could appear on the choice screen only if they satisfy relevant criteria, including technical and security requirements. The CMA’s announcement does not set out a final list of eligible providers or specify how the qualifying tests would be applied.
Sarah Cardell, chief executive of the CMA, said the regulator had responded to feedback from publishers, search providers and consumer groups after its earlier consultation.
“We’ve listened carefully to feedback and are responding quickly to the rise of AI assistants, which people are increasingly using as their search service, but aren’t included on Google’s choice screens.”
Sarah Cardell, chief executive, Competition and Markets Authority
Annual Prompts Would Change the Default
The proposal covers both Android phones and the Chrome browser. A user would see a choice when first using an Android device or opening Chrome, followed by an annual prompt to select the default search provider they want to use.
That requirement matters because Google controls several points at which search begins, including the Android operating system and Chrome. The CMA’s consultation describes the issue as one of “choice architecture”: how a platform presents options and influences the decisions people make.
The regulator is not yet imposing the measure. Its consultation page says Google was designated as having strategic market status in general search and search advertising in October 2025, giving the CMA powers to impose conduct requirements in that market under the UK’s digital markets regime.
Publisher Attribution Is Part of the Package
The proposed choice screen would come with conditions for providers that appear on it. Search services would have to attribute publisher content clearly and accurately, making it easier for users to identify where information came from and reach the original source.
The attribution requirement addresses a separate problem created by AI-generated answers: an assistant may draw on publisher material while presenting a condensed response instead of sending the user directly to the article or page. The CMA says providers featured on the screen must make source content accessible and explain the origin of search results.
The authority has already taken related steps against Google this year. It imposed publisher controls on 3 June 2026, including tools connected with the use of publisher content in Google’s AI search features, and introduced fair-ranking and data-portability requirements on 17 June.
A Decision Is Due Before 2027
The choice-screen proposal forms part of a broader CMA programme focused on Google’s search and mobile platforms. The authority says it has made three strategic market-status designations since the UK digital markets competition regime came into force 20 months ago.
For Google, the immediate question is not whether AI assistants exist, but whether services that qualify as search alternatives should receive equal visibility at the point where Android and Chrome users select a provider. The proposal leaves the technical and security tests open for consultation, while placing the deadline for public responses on 9 October.
The CMA expects to reach its final decision by the end of 2026. Until then, no Android or Chrome choice screen changes are required.