As publishers express concerns over dwindling traffic from Google, the tech giant is introducing AI-generated summaries in its Discover news feed on both iOS and Android. Instead of a singular headline from a prominent publication, users now see multiple logos from different news sources accompanied by an AI-created summary that references these sources.
Though the app clearly warns that AI “can make mistakes,” this new feature isn’t universally available yet, indicating it may still be in the testing phase. While Google has not commented on the specific details of this rollout, some users have already experienced these AI summaries across various devices in the U.S.
In addition to these summaries, Google is experimenting with novel ways to present news in Discover. Some stories now appear with bullet points under the headline or are grouped with related topics. For instance, a piece on a political figure’s latest actions might link to further reports or provide concise bullet-point summaries of key content from major publications.
This development is happening in a broader context where several publishers are themselves experimenting with AI. Organizations like The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and USA Today, among others, are exploring AI’s potential. Startups such as Particle are also leveraging AI to summarize stories and even offer deeper insights by allowing users to explore different perspectives or ask additional questions.
Despite these advancements, there’s a palpable concern within the publishing community regarding AI’s impact on website traffic and referrals. Google’s AI-powered features allow users to receive summarized answers directly, diminishing the need for direct visits to news websites. This trend mirrors activities in other AI applications like ChatGPT.
In an attempt to support publishers, Google introduced Offerwall, a tool that provides revenue opportunities beyond traditional ad-based models. This allows publishers using Google Ad Manager to explore options like micropayments, surveys, newsletter sign-ups, and ad viewing.
However, for many publishers, these solutions may be coming too late, as traffic decline seems more pronounced. Recent insights from The Economist highlighted a 15% drop in worldwide search traffic year-over-year, based on data from the analytics company Similarweb. Additionally, the frequency of news searches resulting in no direct clicks to news websites has increased significantly, climbing from 56% to nearly 69% in just a year. Organic traffic plunged from over 2.3 billion visits in 2024 to fewer than 1.7 billion.
Despite these challenges, Google Discover has continued to drive clicks, even amidst a general decline in traffic from Google Search. However, this could change if AI summaries become more widespread in the Google app, potentially impacting this vital source of engagement for publishers.
