Concerns raised over Google's AI-enhanced search by news publishers, fear detrimental effects

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The A.I. doomsday clock appears ready to strike midnight for publishers.

Google has announced that it will integrate its advanced artificial intelligence model, Gemini, into its search engine. This means that users will receive direct answers to their queries at the top of search results, eliminating the need to click on links for information. This new feature aims to make searching more efficient and user-friendly.

However, for news publishers already facing declining traffic, this update may lead to a further decrease in audience engagement. With Google providing instant answers from the web using its A.I., users may be less inclined to visit news websites, potentially impacting publishers' readership and revenue.

Executives mentioned that Google will handle the groundwork. This groundwork mainly involves human-written articles and expertise shared online through blogs and media platforms, supported by advertising.

The message from Google was quickly understood. Shortly after the announcement in Mountain View, the news industry started to express concerns.

"This will have a huge impact on our website traffic. Google is making changes to better answer user questions, which means people may not need to click on our site as much to find what they're looking for," explained Danielle Coffey, the CEO of the News/Media Alliance.

Sundar Pichai speaks about Gemini 1.5 pro during Google I/O developer conference today.

Sundar Pichai speaks about Gemini 1.5 pro during Google I/O developer conference today.

Google

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Coffey, who represents over 2,000 news publishers, has been vocal about A.I. developers using journalism. He expressed concerns about the decrease in traffic and the dominance of a search engine forcing publishers to comply with their terms. This time, the search engine is using publishers' content to compete with them, which he sees as a twisted form of innovation.

The announcement from Google, which newsrooms had been anticipating and worrying about publicly and privately, is expected to further harm an industry that has already suffered numerous blows, many of which were caused by Big Tech. Additionally, OpenAI is reportedly getting ready to launch its own A.I.-powered search engine.

Since ChatGPT burst onto the scene over a year ago, it has showcased the potential power of A.I. This has led to an arms race with tech giants like Google and Meta, causing publishers to worry about how this technology will impact their businesses. The rapid development of ChatGPT has left publishers with little time to plan their responses.

Some newsrooms have decided to collaborate with tech giants like OpenAI. They have struck deals to license their deep archives of content. On the other hand, The New York Times has taken a different approach. They notably filed a lawsuit against the creator of ChatGPT, showing a strong stance against the technology.

Publishers used to work closely with Big Tech companies, but their relationships have soured in recent years. Mark Zuckerberg has turned away from the news industry, downplaying news articles on his platforms and ending other initiatives. Google has a better relationship with publishers, but has also faced criticism. Recently, it faced backlash for temporarily blocking some California news outlets from search results in response to a bill.

On Tuesday, Google tried to calm fears by arguing that the A.I. changes would actually help news companies. They mentioned that with their AI Overviews feature, more links would be shown, leading to increased traffic for web publishers.

Google announced that links included in AI Overviews receive more clicks compared to traditional web listings for the same query. The focus is on driving valuable traffic to publishers and creators as they continue to expand this experience.

However, considering Silicon Valley's history with publishers, the statement may not provide much relief to them. There is already skepticism surrounding Google's claims.

"Our preliminary examination indicates that it will greatly decrease the search traffic to the websites of content creators, affecting their ad revenue and ultimately, their livelihoods," stated Marc McCollum, chief innovation officer at Raptive. Raptive offers services to numerous online creators and businesses. McCollum expressed concern that this shift may jeopardize the future of the open internet.

Editor's P/S:

The integration of advanced AI models like Gemini into search engines is a significant development that has both potential benefits and concerns for the media industry. While it can enhance user experience and streamline information retrieval, it also poses challenges to publishers who rely on search traffic for audience engagement and revenue. The news industry has expressed apprehension about the potential decline in website visits and the dominance of search engines that utilize their content for direct answers.

The rapid advancement of AI technology has created an arms race among tech giants, leaving publishers with limited time to adapt. Some newsrooms have chosen to collaborate with tech companies, while others have taken a more cautious approach. The strained relationships between publishers and Big Tech companies add to the uncertainty surrounding the future of the media landscape. Google's assurances of increased traffic through AI Overviews may not fully alleviate publishers' concerns, given the history of Silicon Valley's actions towards the news industry. The impact of AI on the media landscape remains to be seen, but it is clear that publishers will need to navigate these changes carefully to maintain their relevance and viability in the digital age.