Tools like Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode now give users direct answers instead of traditional blue links|Carlos Luna|CC BY 2.0
AI chatbots are reshaping how people find information online, and it’s hurting news publishers. Tools like Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode now give users direct answers instead of traditional blue links.
That means fewer people click through to news websites. As a result, search traffic to major outlets is dropping fast.
Traffic plummets across major outlets,
- Business Insider lost 55% of its search traffic between April 2022 and April 2025, causing the outlet to cut 21% of its staff.
- HuffPost and the Washington Post also saw traffic fall by more than half.
- Publishers like the New York Times and Wall Street Journal also witness similar declines.
- The Atlantic’s CEO warned that Google referrals may soon hit zero.
To adapt, media companies are shifting toward subscriptions, newsletters, events, and direct audience engagement.
Legal battles and AI deals grow
Some are also suing AI companies over copyright issues, while others are signing content deals.
Despite Google’s claim that it still drives traffic, publishers say AI is changing everything.
With trust in traditional media already under strain, the industry now faces a “post-search era,” where survival depends on building loyal audiences outside of search engines.