Earlier quoted context omitted.
If views increased, there'd also be more pressure to make more money from them. The direction of views is irrelevant. What's relevant is the forward passage of time. As t -> infinity, shitty monetization -> infinity.
It’s not inevitable. It’s just a specific form of leadership failure that comes from grabby short term business people being in charge of everything. As a counter example, the Economist or the NY Times don’t feel anywhere near this bad. They make you pay. But subscribers get a much nicer product in return.
The Economist is the economist, and can ask for a higher subscription price given its target audience.
AI summaries are reducing visits to Wikipedia, which shall drive down donations.
Creating quality information for the average citizen is not a sustainable enterprise today.