Google was the first to integrate generative AI directly into its search results. This is a profound change in how users are going to find information online. A year ago, the tech giant began AI-generated responses. These rapid responses now show up above classic blue links for select searches. This evolution is indicative of a much larger trend in the internet age. Now more than ever, adaptability is the name of the game for consumers and creators of content. Some environmentalists warn that this change would be more than an improvement. It would be a troubling indicator that Google is moving away from the original bedrock principles of online searching.
To do that, Google has transformed its services with the launch of AI Mode. This new, advanced search tool is specifically customized for users located in Australia. This change is hugely consequential for news sites and challenging Google’s long-held monopoly as a search engine. Google’s move is truly a big deal with major ramifications. As it continues to evolve from a “search engine” into an “answer engine.”
The Rise of AI in Search Results
This is both the launch of AI search on Google and a remarkable step forward in how users will interact with and consume information. By featuring AI-generated answers first and foremost in search results, Google is meeting users’ needs by providing fast, short, and easy-to-digest information right away. This transition has in turn raised alarm bells about the newly vanishing prominence of local news websites.
With the launch of AI Mode, Google has permanently cut out the majority of these news outlets from the equation. The change, perhaps the largest in the history of Google, was so shocking that experts have dubbed it “Google Zero.” Today, the platform provides in-depth summaries directly on the results page, eliminating visits to third-party sites. This paradigm shift is going to change the way we interact with content. Users may begin to more heavily trust content created by Google’s AI over seeking out the original content themselves.
The impacts of this change are acute throughout the media ecosystem. It’s been a common refrain from the news sector that their search traffic has plummeted by an astounding number. Some have even seen declines of up to 30 percent since the introduction of AI summaries. As this evolution progresses, industry leaders are left to ask what this means for the future of journalism.
“A lot of publishers are asking themselves, what is our business model?” – Kevin Indig
Impacts on the Media Industry
The implications of Google’s AI-driven changes go much deeper than these user experience considerations and get to the very survival of our news organizations. Content marketers and publishers of all types are facing challenges like never before as they try to adapt to a world rapidly being taken over by AI-created content. In some cases, they have experienced decreases in traffic as high as 80 percent.
This dramatic shift couldn’t have come at a worse time for the media industry, already beleaguered by chronic structural inequities created by licensing disparities. Over the last five years, nearly 166 metropolitan, regional, and community newsrooms have closed in Australia. Challenging fiscal conditions due to reduced ridership and funding have compounded the impact of this perfect storm. With these traditional revenue models in decline, many publishers are left wondering how they can continue to remain sustainable in an AI-powered world.
The drop in news traffic is reflected in recent years on digital platforms more generally as well as across social media sites specifically. Meta’s abrupt algorithm changes, which have reduced the visibility of news content, amplify the challenges faced by publishers trying to maintain their audience. We know that Google is constantly tweaking its algorithms and favoring AI responses. Consequently, many local media organizations are looking down the barrel of an increasingly bleak future.
“For a lot of publishers, gating wasn’t viable,” – Kevin Indig
The Future Landscape and Emerging Solutions
With the media environment changing at an unprecedented pace, experts such as Kevin Indig create a clear message that the companies who fail to innovate will die. This change to AI-powered responses raises some important questions. How will news organizations innovate, change, and survive in this new reality?
Indig explains that this is a position many publishers suddenly find themselves in. The option to “gate” content—requiring payment or subscriptions for access—has become one of the few viable strategies left for some. This more flexible option comes with its own set of challenges. The result is that many users are resistant to paying for content that used to be free.
“Now it’s like they’re being pushed towards the cliff and gating is one of the best kinds of options that they have.” – Kevin Indig
To address these changes, a number of companies are making innovative new moves. Just the other day, Cloudflare announced a small trial service to do that. Now, this new release allows content owners to charge AI crawlers for access to their content. This provision can be seen as a small step towards creating a more fair playing ground between content creators and AI technology companies.
As Google continues to assert its dominance in information retrieval through AI, the future remains uncertain for traditional media outlets. Here’s how journalists and publishers should pivot their plans. They need to innovate new revenue sources that are more in line with how users are behaving today.
