Summary
Online news publishers are facing significant drops in website traffic due to Google's AI-generated search summaries. These AI Overviews display at the top of search results, leading users to click on news websites less often. The decline in traffic affects publishers' ad revenue and their overall business model.
Key Facts
- Google's AI Overviews were introduced in May 2024.
- These AI summaries appear at the top of Google search results.
- News websites like CNN, Business Insider, and HuffPost have seen traffic drop by 30% to 40%.
- This drop in traffic impacts online advertising revenue which many publishers rely on.
- If publishers opt out of AI Overviews, they also lose visibility on Google Search.
- Some publishers are suing AI companies over the use of their content.
- Google states that AI Overviews are popular with users and may become more common.
