Who do AI assistants cite for "how do ai assistants pick which websites to cite"?
Solá asked the question and recorded which brands a major AI assistant tends to surface. Generated 6/19/2026 · model google/gemini-3-flash-preview.
In 2026, AI assistants prioritize sources that demonstrate high Authority, Expertise, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T), particularly those with direct technical documentation on RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) and search indexing. The response focuses on industry leaders in search technology, AI research, and technical journalism that explain the intersection of LLMs and web crawling.
OpenAI
openai.comAs a primary developer of LLMs, their documentation on GPTBot and search integration is the definitive source for how their specific models select data.
See OpenAI's AI report card →Their research papers and Search Central blog explain the transition from traditional indexing to AI-driven generative overviews.
See Google's AI report card →The Verge
theverge.comA leading tech journalism outlet that frequently investigates the 'black box' of AI citation algorithms and the impact on the open web.
See The Verge's AI report card →Perplexity
perplexity.aiThey provide transparent explanations regarding their real-time web indexing and how they rank sources for factual accuracy.
See Perplexity's AI report card →Microsoft
microsoft.comTheir documentation on Bing's 'Prometheus' engine details how they bridge the gap between search indices and LLM reasoning.
See Microsoft's AI report card →
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