70% users stopped visiting websites because of AI suggestions in Google search results

Modern journalism is facing a new reality – digital competition and the transition of users to AI services are radically changing the way news is consumed. Search engines no longer guarantee the same level of traffic as more and more people receive news directly through artificial intelligence.

The decline in conversions from search engines

In May 2024, Google launched the AI ​​Overviews function – displaying answers to queries directly in the search results, without the need to go to websites. This significantly reduced the number of clicks on links.

According to Similarweb, the share of search queries that do not lead to transfers to news sites increased from 56% in May 2024 to almost 69% in May 2025. As a result, organic traffic to US news resources has fallen from over 2.3 billion to less than 1.7 billion visits.

Growing interest in news on ChatGPT

In parallel, there has been a sharp increase in news requests via ChatGPT – from January 2024 to May 2025, the number of such requests increased by 212%. Over the same period, transitions from ChatGPT to news sites have increased from less than 1 million to over 25 million – 25 times.

However, despite the impressive growth, transitions from AI platforms have not yet compensated for the losses from the decline in traffic from traditional search.

Who Gets the Most Conversions from ChatGPT

The largest number of conversions from ChatGPT are received by Reuters, NY Post and Business Insider — 8.9%, 7.1% and 6.5% respectively. The New York Times, which is engaged in litigation with OpenAI, showed a modest growth of 3.1%, but remains in the top 10.

The topics that arouse the greatest interest among ChatGPT users are finance, economics, sports, politics and weather, which indicates a desire for a deeper understanding of events.

Media Reaction and Outlook

In response to the calls, Google has offered publishers a new tool called Offerwall for alternative monetization — through micropayments or subscriptions, in addition to or instead of advertising. Some media outlets are experimenting with paywalls, but many have already faced cuts or closures.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledged in a recent interview that AI will lead to the disappearance of a number of professions and jobs, underscoring the seriousness of the changes underway.