Google's AI pivot is now also pinching top news outlets with traffic drops

Google’s big push into artificial intelligence is really starting to hit where it hurts for some of the biggest names in news. We’re talking about a significant shift in how people find information online, and it’s leaving major news publishers scrambling. What was once a reliable stream of visitors from Google search is now looking more like a trickle for many, including us.

The heart of the issue seems to be Google’s AI features, especially something called AI Overviews. These handy, but often misleading, little summaries pop up right at the top of your search results, giving you a direct answer without much need to click through to a website. While super convenient for users, this change appears to be cutting off a vital artery for news organizations that depend on those clicks for their revenue and reach. We’ve seen reports suggesting that outlets like HuffPost and The New York Times are feeling the pinch.

It’s a pretty intense debate right now. Google is saying their AI actually drives more diverse web traffic overall. But on the flip side, publishers are reporting some truly eye-watering drops in traffic, anywhere from 20% to a staggering 55%. It’s hard to reconcile those two perspectives, and it highlights a growing tension. For example, both HuffPost and The Washington Post have seen their organic search traffic practically halved over the past three years. Business Insider has apparently been hit even harder, with a 55% decline between April 2022 and April 2025. This significant drop in traffic might be the main reason why the company recently had to lay off over 100 staff members. So it’s clear that these are not small numbers for major news organizations.

This isn’t happening in a vacuum. We’ve been tracking other significant shifts in Google’s search behavior recently. Just a few days ago, we heard about many site owners reporting an alarming deindexing spike from Google, which certainly adds to the instability. And if you missed it, last year in November we highlighted the possibility (which still remains true), that HCU-hit publishers won’t be recovering anytime soon, if at all. All these changes paint a picture of a search giant in constant flux.

Naturally, news outlets are trying to figure out how to adapt. Some are doubling down on what they do best: creating unique, exclusive content that people will actively seek out, rather than just stumbling upon through a general search. Others are getting more vocal, pushing for government intervention and even calling Google’s use of their content “theft.” The industry is definitely struggling to balance staying innovative with simply trying to survive.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai has defended the company’s AI moves, telling The Verge that AI Overviews are actually increasing query volume and sending traffic to a wider variety of sources. Almost the same things were repeated in an interview with Bloomberg. Honestly, it seems like Google has come up with some talking points, and they’re just sticking to it, without actual data to back it up. Nevertheless, you can watch the full interview below and decide for yourself:

However, publishers are quick to point out that even if overall traffic grows, individual outlets might still be losing out big time. We’ve also talked about how Google Search itself has morphed into something different, perhaps even the very thing it once defeated — Yahoo. The company put its search business on the sidelines and tried to dabble into multiple other areas, and well, the rest is history.

Interestingly, Google seems to be testing out some changes. They’re trying out placing those AI Overviews lower down on search pages, which might be a way to ease the impact on publishers. But the long-term effects of all these changes are still very much up in the air.

While the placement might offer a sigh of relief for some, a recent report points towards Google planning something shadier. Apparently, the company is looking to bake the AI mode directly into the main Search experience. At the moment, it’s anyone’s guess on how this will work, but it’s a clear sign that Google isn’t going to slow down on its AI push.

At this pace and trajectory, it wouldn’t be surprising if we’ll soon witness the death of online publishing as it is. It’s going to be one hell of a ride for us, and the millions of other publishers out there.