Chatbots are replacing Google's search, devastating traffic for some publishers

Anyone surprised? I mean that's just what Google does and did from the very early days. I am more ashamed that politicians worldwide have done basically nothing to help media companies in the last 25 years.

We can always ask ourselves: What is more important for our society: independent media or our search overlords?

Re: Chatbots are replacing Google's search, devastating traffic for some publishers

#7

Post by jaredwiener » Tue, Jun 10, 2025, 9:40 PM UTC

Honest question as I try to wrap my millennial brain around this --

for those of you who search for news -- with or without an AI -- what are you searching for? So much of news is finding out the unknown, it seems unsearchable by nature? Or are you asking for updates to a specific, ongoing story?

Re: Chatbots are replacing Google's search, devastating traffic for some publishers

#8

Post by 1bpp » Tue, Jun 10, 2025, 9:43 PM UTC

jaredwiener wrote: post #7

Honest question as I try to wrap my millennial brain around this -- for those of you who search for news -- with or without an AI -- what are you searching for? So much of news is finding out the unknown, it seems unsearchable by nature? Or are you asking for updates to a specific, ongoing story?

Updates on a specific topic, region, company, or ongoing story.

Re: Chatbots are replacing Google's search, devastating traffic for some publishers

#9

Post by triceratops » Tue, Jun 10, 2025, 9:46 PM UTC

Tarsul wrote: post #6

Anyone surprised? I mean that's just what Google does and did from the very early days. I am more ashamed that politicians worldwide have done basically nothing to help media companies in the last 25 years. We can always ask ourselves: What is more important for our society: independent media or our search overlords?

> politicians worldwide have done basically nothing to help media companies

Is that really surprising? Good journalists consider it their job to hold politicians accountable.

Re: Chatbots are replacing Google's search, devastating traffic for some publishers

#10

Post by rightbyte » Tue, Jun 10, 2025, 9:48 PM UTC

Tarsul wrote: post #6

Anyone surprised? I mean that's just what Google does and did from the very early days. I am more ashamed that politicians worldwide have done basically nothing to help media companies in the last 25 years. We can always ask ourselves: What is more important for our society: independent media or our search overlords?

Google is doing some sort of LLM copyright laundering. The earlier version was bad for the sites but with the new one most likely decreases click throughs even more.