AI is rewriting how we search—and breaking the link between content and traffic. Seven out of ten users now get their answers without ever visiting the source
Jul 17, 2025
AI-powered search is transforming how people access information online—and not in a way that’s sustainable for the web as we know it. As users turn to chatbots like ChatGPT instead of traditional search engines, they receive direct answers without clicking through to original sources. This shift is breaking the decades-old economic model of the internet, threatening the viability of content creators and publishers. Unless a new system emerges that fairly compensates them, the open web risks being hollowed out.
Key takeaways
Fewer clicks, less traffic: Since Google introduced AI-generated “overviews” in search, the share of news-related searches resulting in no clicks has jumped from 56% to 69% (Similarweb). Most users now get their answers directly from AI without visiting the source site.
AI is skipping the source: Platforms like ChatGPT, Google’s AI mode, and Perplexity give users synthesized answers — not links. The result: publishers, forums, and reference sites are seeing double-digit traffic declines: Health sites -31%; Reference sites -15; Science/Education -10%.
The old deal is broken: Publishers used to trade content for traffic. Now, they provide content and get nothing back. Dotdash Meredith saw its Google-driven traffic drop from 60% to mid-30%. Wikipedia warns that AI summaries “block pathways” for user contributions.
The legal fight is already underway: News Corp, The New York Times, and others are either suing AI firms or cutting deals. But smaller sites—millions of them—lack the means to sue or negotiate, even as their content is scraped and monetized by bots.
The Web is hollowing out: As fewer users click through, message boards like Stack Overflow report fewer questions being asked. Traffic is thinning, especially for text-based knowledge sites.
Google’s grip is slipping: Even Google admits search behavior is changing. In April 2025, Apple reported the first-ever decline in Safari searches as users switched to AI assistants. OpenAI’s ChatGPT app is now the most downloaded iPhone app.
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