Google CEO Reassures Publishers That AI Mode Will Still Include Links Nobody Clicks
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA—In a calming message to publishers concerned that Google’s AI Mode may reduce referral traffic to approximately the same level as a Blockbuster rewards program, Google CEO Sundar Pichai reassured the media industry Thursday that “sources and links will always be part of the experience,” though mostly in the decorative sense.
“We understand that publishers are worried,” Pichai said, standing in front of a slide labeled The Open Web: A Valued Content Extraction Partner. “That’s why we remain committed to displaying their links somewhere near the AI answer, possibly below the fold, beside a tiny favicon, in a shade of gray visible only during lunar eclipses.”
Pichai emphasized that users are responding “positively” to AI Mode, citing Google’s internal metrics showing that people love receiving a complete answer without having to endure the exhausting hardship of visiting the website where the answer came from.
“People want to connect with what’s out there on the web,” Pichai explained. “And by ‘connect,’ we mean have Google summarize it, monetize it, and then offer the original source a tasteful little credit line before the user moves on forever.”
Industry experts noted that Google’s new AI experience preserves the proud tradition of web attribution while removing several outdated inconveniences, such as clicks, pageviews, ad revenue, subscriber conversions, and the general concept of a sustainable publishing business.
“This is not Google Zero,” said one Google spokesperson. “That phrase is alarmist. We prefer ‘Publisher Visibility Without Economic Incident.’”
Publishers were reportedly relieved to learn that their work will continue playing a vital role in the internet ecosystem, specifically as raw material in a machine that tells users everything they need to know before they accidentally support journalism.
At press time, Google announced a new feature allowing publishers to see how many times their content helped answer a question, expressed as an exciting new metric called “Exposure Feelings.”