This is technically correct, but the inferral is Google forcing some kind of Faustian pact on the vulnerable.

Simply put, Google's Search and AI tools are now inextricably combined. If you opt-out of AI tooling, then by proxy you are opting out of what Google choses to provide as a 'Search' offering.

It's not a punitive measure, just the reality of a paradigm shift.

They could choose to offer search without the AI answer but have chosen not to. To be clear I might have made the same choice as them. But let's be clear