Google’s AI Overviews and chatbots are tanking news publishers’ traffic, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The issue started as users get quick answers from chatbots instead of clicking Google search links. That kills referral traffic to news sites.
The launch of AI Overviews last year hit sites like vacation guides, health, and product reviews hard. Now, Google’s AI Mode—its ChatGPT rival—is expected to drain traffic even more. AI Mode chats with users and shows fewer external links. 
Traffic to The New York Times from organic search slipped to 36.5% in April 2025, down from 44% three years ago, per Similarweb data cited by WSJ.
Google claims otherwise. At its developer conference in May, the company said AI Overviews have actually boosted search traffic.
Publishers including The Atlantic and The Washington Post are pushing to change business models fast. Some are signing deals with AI firms to pull new revenue.
The New York Times recently licensed its content to Amazon for AI training. The Atlantic teamed up with OpenAI. Startup Perplexity plans to share ad revenue when its chatbot uses publisher content.
The AI shift is crushing site visits but firing up new money streams for some publishers. The fight to stop AI from eating news traffic is on.
