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Written by

Laura Hazard Owen and Owen Huchon

May 24, 2023

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Google transforms search with AI. What's the impact for news publishers?

The use of AI-generated search results should reduce the traffic that Google sends to publishers' websites, as more and more people will get what they need directly from Google's search page.

Article translated by Owen Huchon — Original version published on the Nieman Lab website on May 11, 2023.

At its annual I/O conference held on May 10, 2023, Google announced a series of "experiments" and upcoming changes in the search field.

A transition that's just beginning, but if these changes become widespread, it will be the most significant overhaul of a crucial part of the internet in some time. This change could significantly reduce the traffic Google sends to publisher sites because more people will be able to get what they need directly from Google's search page. It could also harm the affiliate revenue that publishers earn from third-party product recommendations.

On the other hand, a new search filter designed by Google to highlight human-created content could help surface journalists, columnists, and independent news outlets – perhaps.

« Search Generative Experience » (SGE)

Google will place AI-generated answers at the top of certain search pages. Here's how the company describes this approach:

Take the following question: "Between Bryce Canyon and Arches National Park, which is better suited for a family with young children and a dog?". Normally, you would need to ask several shorter, more specific questions and sift through all the available information, piecing it together yourself. With generative AI, the search engine can do this for you. You'll get a summary of key information generated by AI.

Washington Post technology journalist Geoffrey Fowler tested this feature and described how SGE cites its sources:

When Google's AI Overview answers a question, it includes its sources in the form of several easily visible links on the left side. By tapping an icon in the top right corner, the display expands to provide, for each sentence, a link to a website. There are two ways to look at it: It could spare me from clicking and having to browse through a site filled with unnecessary information. But it could also mean that I'll never visit that other site to discover something new or an important piece of context.

The first three sources display by default, but you can display additional ones.

AI-generated content will also be integrated into shopping results. If you search for something like "a Bluetooth speaker for a pool party under $100" or "a good bike for a 5-mile commute with hills," you'll get a list of recommended products curated by AI. I haven't tested this feature, but beyond preventing users from visiting publishers' pages, it seems like bad news for publishers who make money through affiliate links.

Google notes that its SGE is still in the experimental stage and not yet available at scale. (If you want to try it, you need to be in the United States and sign up for a waitlist). Beyond this limited access, The Verge's David Pierce notes that there are supposed to be limits to what Google will use to power the AI:

Not all searches will produce an AI answer – it only appears when Google's algorithms determine it's more useful than standard results, and sensitive topics such as health and finance are currently configured to prevent any AI interference. But during my brief demos and tests, the AI showed up when I searched for chocolate chip cookies, Adele, nearby cafes, or the best movies of 2022.

For example, when Will Knight of Wired asked “whether Joe Biden is a good president or for information on abortion laws in different U.S. states, it refused to answer.” Even though Google’s AI isn’t supposed to have an opinion, it seems that it sometimes slips in one. The Verge again:

At one point during our demonstration, I asked [Liz Reid, Google's vice president of search] to search for just the word

Hidden "gems"

Google is also expanding the use of a search filter called "Perspectives, which incorporates user-generated content in search results, such as Reddit posts, YouTube videos, and blog articles. This change comes at a time when Americans are increasingly searching for news and information from individuals, not institutions, and when TikTok and Instagram are eating into Google's market share in search. Here's what Google says:

In the coming weeks, when you search for something that could benefit from other people's experience, you may see an "Perspectives" filter appear at the top of your search results. By clicking on this filter, you'll see exclusively videos, images, and written messages—short or long—that people have shared on discussion forums, Q&A sites, and social networks. We'll also display more details about the creators of this content, such as their name, profile photo, or information about how popular their content is. Useful information is often found in unexpected or hard-to-find places: a comment in a discussion thread, a post on a little-known blog, or an article showcasing unique expertise on a topic. Our system for ranking useful content will soon show more of these "hidden gems" in the search engine, especially when we believe they improve results.

"We're seeing that our users, especially younger users, want to know what other people think," said Liz Reid, vice president of search at Google, in an interview with The Verge. "They don't just want to hear from institutions or big brands. So how do we make it easier to surface that information?"

As “Perspectives” rolls out, it will be interesting to see how Google defines “other people”: Are journalists or opinion columnists who work for newspapers included? Will newsletters on Substack be featured? This feature could potentially benefit major news publishers as well as freelance journalists, but uncertainty still remains.

Editor's Note

This text is not a word-for-word translation of the original article published on the Nieman Lab website. We have added contextual information, adapted certain expressions, and omitted certain passages containing specialized references intended for English-speaking or American readers. We have also chosen to apply the rules of inclusive writing to this translation, in accordance with the editorial guidelines currently in effect for all Médianes content.

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