Google's AI Overviews and other AI-powered tools are reportedly causing a decline in traffic to news websites. This shift is attributed to users directly querying chatbots for information, which often synthesizes content without directing users to the original sources.
The introduction of features like AI Overviews, which summarize search results, has led to a decrease in clicks to news sites. This trend impacts various sites, including those providing travel guides, health tips, and product reviews.
Google's AI Mode, which provides conversational responses without external links, is expected to exacerbate this issue. This poses a challenge to news organizations, as they rely on website traffic for revenue and audience engagement.
The New York Times, for example, has seen a decrease in organic search traffic. The proportion of traffic from organic searches to its desktop and mobile sites dropped from 44% three years ago to 36.5% in April 2025.
In response, news publishers are exploring new strategies. Some are forming content partnerships with AI companies to generate new revenue streams. The New York Times has partnered with Amazon to license its content for AI training.
Other publishers, like The Atlantic, are collaborating with OpenAI, while AI startup Perplexity plans to share ad revenue with publishers whose content is featured in its chatbot responses. These initiatives aim to adapt to the changing landscape and secure the future of quality journalism.