The publishing company behind USA Today and 220 other publications is today rolling out a chatbot-like tool called DeeperDive that can converse with readers, summarize insights from its journalism, and suggest new content from across its sites. "Visitors now have a trusted AI answer engine on our platform for anything they want to engage with, anything they want to ask," Mike Reed, CEO of Gannett and the USA Today Network, said at the WIRED AI Power Summit in New York, an event that brought together voices from the tech industry, politics, and the world of media. "and it is performing really great."
SEM Rush data for March-July shows ~13-18% of Google queries generated an AI summary. When people see one, they click fewer links (8% vs 15% CTR to web results), redistributing traffic. The majority of these 'lost clicks' are likely low value to brands - typically informational-led rather than purchasing-led. Reports show declining traffic without equivalent conversion drops. That may change as rollout continues.