Google’s AI Summaries Threaten Digital Publishers’ Business Models
Google’s AI-generated summaries continue to pose a significant challenge to digital publishers’ business models, according to a survey by Digital Content Next (DCN). The nonprofit organization, which represents prominent publishing names such as The New York Times, Bloomberg, Fox News Digital, and NBC News, reported a median year-over-year decline of 10% in referral traffic from Google Search between May and June. Some publishers experienced click-through declines as high as 25%.
In the past eight weeks, non-news brands have suffered the most significant setbacks, with a 14% year-over-year drop, while news brands saw a more modest decline of 7%. Particularly detrimental weeks for publishers included May 25 and June 22, when news brand referrals from Google plummeted by 16%, and non-news brand referrals dropped by 17%.
These findings echo previous concerns about the impact of Google’s AI-generated summaries, which were introduced in 2023 and saw a broader rollout in May 2024. In a study conducted by the Pew Research Center last month, only 8% of search users who encountered AI summaries clicked on a link in the search results, compared to 15% among those shown traditional search results. Conversely, 26% of participants ended their browsing at the AI summary, compared to 16% who concluded their session after receiving only traditional search results.
DCN proposed several measures aimed at supporting publishers. These include compelling Google to provide auditable data on click-through rates for AI-generated summaries and giving publishers the ability to block the use of their content in AI-generated answers without compromising their Google search visibility. The nonprofit also advocated for Google to negotiate fair licensing agreements with publishers, as well as for regulators to view AI-generated summaries and AI Mode as part of Google’s search monopoly.
A DCN spokesperson stated, “This is not a call for special treatment; it’s a call to preserve the integrity of the open web. We must ensure that the same AI ‘answers’ users see at the top of Google Search don’t become a free substitute for the original work they are based on.”
Google maintains that AI-generated summaries result in an increase in “high-quality clicks,” where users spend more time exploring the website, despite potential overall traffic decreases. However, the company did not provide specific data on how its Gemini AI impacts news specifically.
Liz Reid, VP and Head of Google Search, previously stated that reports like those from Pew and DCN are often based on questionable methodologies, isolated examples, or traffic changes that occurred prior to the introduction of AI features in search.
Although there is currently no way to disable AI-generated summaries, several strategies can help reduce their frequency.
