Google's AI-generated summaries, known as AI overviews, are drastically reducing traffic to news websites, causing an average 80% drop in click-through rates. Media owners express alarm over the tool's potential threat to their survival, as it summarizes search results in a way that enables users to access information without visiting original sites. Concerns have been raised about fair competition and the impact on independent news outlets, leading to legal complaints in the UK against Google. Critics argue that Google is profiting from journalists' content while limiting their audience access.
Foxglove director Rosa Curling said the new research highlights the "devastating impact that Google's 'AI overviews' are already having on the UK's independent news industry."
Owen Meredith, the chief executive of the News Media Association, accuses Google of trying to keep users "within its own walled garden, taking and monetising valuable content - including journalists' work."
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