What is a Generative Engine?
A generative engine is a search system that answers a question by writing the answer, not by listing links. It combines a large language model with retrieval: the engine fetches relevant sources, then generates a synthesized response that may cite a few of them.
How it differs from a search engine
A classic search engine ranks documents and lets the user do the reading. A generative engine does the reading itself and returns a conclusion. That collapses the funnel: the model decides which brands are worth naming and which sources are worth citing before the user sees anything.
Examples
- ChatGPT with search enabled
- Perplexity
- Google AI Overviews and AI Mode
- Gemini and Copilot in their answer modes
The term comes from the 2023 research paper that also coined generative engine optimization (GEO), the practice of earning presence inside these answers.