The rapid rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI), especially chatbots and AI-driven summary tools like Google's AI Overviews, has significantly disrupted traditional publishing and journalism. These technologies produce concise summaries of news and diverse content, enabling users to access information quickly without visiting original publisher sites. Consequently, many news websites have seen traffic declines exceeding 34%, directly endangering publishers’ main revenue sources—advertising and subscriptions. This trend has triggered substantial financial strain for media outlets dependent on search engine traffic, leading to frequent newsroom layoffs and diminishing the relevance of traditional journalism as AI alternatives grow. Publishers remain skeptical of AI companies’ claims that their tools drive higher-quality traffic, citing a lack of credible supporting evidence. To counter these challenges and protect their intellectual property, publishers have filed over a dozen lawsuits against AI firms for unauthorized use of copyrighted content and have entered into more than seventy licensing deals to monetize such use. However, these agreements often offer limited financial returns and weak negotiating power for publishers, highlighting a growing dominance of tech companies. Complicating matters is AI developers’ reliance on "fair use" doctrines to incorporate copyrighted content into training datasets without explicit permission. The unclear legal boundaries of fair use in AI contexts make it difficult for publishers to enforce their rights effectively.

This legal ambiguity exacerbates the risk that without sustainable revenue models compensating news organizations, investigative journalism and high-quality reporting may decline sharply, weakening journalism’s vital role in informing the public, ensuring accountability, and supporting democratic discourse. Despite assurances from AI leaders about future fair remuneration for content creators, current industry practices show minimal efforts to fairly reward original journalists and creatives. This reflects a broader technology-sector pattern where innovations disrupt established institutions and business models, often disadvantaging traditional stakeholders. The impact goes beyond economics, signaling a fundamental change in how information is produced, shared, and consumed. As AI advances, the threat of publishers becoming obsolete grows, leaving journalists to confront an uncertain future requiring new adaptability and resilience. In summary, while generative AI presents impressive capabilities and potential benefits for information accessibility, its present effect on journalism is deeply concerning. Sharp drops in publisher site traffic, dwindling revenues, ongoing legal conflicts, and unauthorized use of copyrighted materials without adequate compensation collectively jeopardize the press’s vitality. Without coordinated efforts to create fair frameworks for content use and remuneration, journalism’s essential societal role risks erosion, with significant repercussions for public knowledge and democratic processes.