Key Points
- Google Discover introduces AI summaries, citing multiple sources
- The feature is still in testing and not yet available for all news stories
- Google has been trying out other ways to present news in Discover, including bullet points and grouping similar stories
- Publishers are concerned about the impact of AI on website traffic and referrals
- Google has launched Offerwall, a feature to help publishers generate revenue beyond traffic-dependent options
Introduction of AI Summaries in Google Discover
Google has started rolling out AI summaries in Discover, the main news feed inside the Google search app on iOS and Android. This feature provides users with AI-generated summaries of news stories, citing multiple sources. The summaries are flagged as being generated with AI, which can make mistakes.
The introduction of AI summaries is likely still a test, as it is not yet appearing for all news stories within the Google app. In addition to the summaries, Google has been trying out other ways to present the news displayed in Discover, including bullet points below the headline and grouping similar news stories together.
Impact on Publishers
The update to the search app comes as a number of publishers have been experimenting with AI on their own sites. However, there is significant concern in the publishing industry about how the shift to AI is impacting website traffic and referrals. With features like Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode, users no longer have to visit a website directly to get answers to their search queries.
Recently, Google launched Offerwall, a feature that allows publishers to generate revenue beyond traffic-dependent options. However, for many publishers, these tools are coming too late, as traffic is already in decline. According to data from market intelligence company Similarweb, worldwide search traffic fell by 15% year-over-year as of June.
Source: techcrunch.com