The fact that users are using more search queries means they can't find what they want with a lesser number of queries. It seems that Google's PR team doesn't have an incentive to understand that, or thinks that everyone else is stupid.

My guess is that they are spinning it as "users enjoy talking to the AI instead of searching, so they do it more"

Rather than "users don't find what they want with the AI as easily so they have to spend longer with it"