Overview

• Google confirmed the U.S. launch on iOS and Android replaces traditional headlines with AI-generated overviews that cite multiple publishers
• Each summary card shows overlapping publisher logos, a warning that AI can err, and an expandable list of contributing source articles
• Despite Google’s statement that the rollout will focus on lifestyle topics, users have encountered AI summaries on politics and other hard-news stories
• SimilarWeb data cited by The Economist report a 15 percent year-over-year drop in global search traffic and a rise in no-click news queries from 56 percent to nearly 69 percent since May 2024
• Publishers report a 15 percent decline in referral visits and are testing tools like Offerwall while pursuing legal action as EU and UK regulators probe Google’s competitive practices