People search for information in new ways when AI systems act as both the search tool and the consumption environment. Traditional search involved a long chain of queries, comparisons, and clicks. Today, users expect AI systems to collect, filter, and synthesise information for them. Information Foraging Theory gives us a clear way to understand these behaviours.

This talk explores how users follow the “scent” of information inside AI environments, how they judge whether to stay or leave a “patch,” and what changes when large language models reduce the cost of exploring complex topics. We look at how AI Overviews, Perplexity, and ChatGPT reshape the search journey by collapsing research tasks into a single surface. You will learn how content, structure, and context influence whether your brand becomes part of the AI patch.