Since June 2024, news websites have experienced a dramatic surge in referrals from artificial intelligence (AI) platforms, with an increase of 770%. This explosion in AI-driven traffic highlights the growing role of AI in how people discover and access information online. According to a report by TechCrunch, data from the web traffic and analytics firm Similarweb indicates that AI platforms drove over 1.13 billion referrals to the top 1,000 websites globally in June 2025, marking a 357% increase compared to the same period last year.
The rise in AI referrals comes amid concerns among news publishers about a potential decline in online traffic due to the increasing popularity of AI platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity for information retrieval. These platforms often provide direct answers to user queries, potentially reducing the need for users to visit news websites. However, the Similarweb data suggests that AI can also be a significant source of traffic for news organizations.
ChatGPT's Dominance and Key Beneficiaries
OpenAI's ChatGPT accounts for a majority (80%) of the AI referrals to the top 1,000 websites. From January 2024 to May 2025, news-related prompts to ChatGPT jumped by 212%. Crucially, ChatGPT referral clicks to news sites have increased 25-fold: from under 1 million in early 2024 to over 25 million in 2025. Certain news websites have benefited more than others from this AI-driven traffic. In June 2025, Yahoo saw 2.3 million AI referrals, Yahoo Japan received 1.9 million, Reuters got 1.8 million, The Guardian had 1.7 million, India Times saw 1.2 million, and Business Insider obtained 1 million. Reuters, the New York Post, and Business Insider experienced traffic increases of approximately 7-9% due to ChatGPT.
In contrast, The New York Times, which has taken a more cautious approach to AI and even sued OpenAI for allegedly scraping its content without permission, saw only a 3% increase in traffic from ChatGPT. This suggests that news organizations that are more open to AI platforms may see greater referral benefits.
The Bigger Picture: Search Traffic Decline and "Google Zero"
Despite the impressive growth in AI referrals, it's important to note that this increase may not be enough to offset the overall decline in organic traffic from traditional search engines. Similarweb's data indicates that organic search traffic to news sites has fallen from approximately 2.3 billion monthly visits in mid-2024 to under 1.7 billion more recently. This decline is attributed to the rise of "zero-click" searches, where users get their answers directly from AI summaries or chatbots without clicking through to news articles. A Pew Research Center study revealed that users only clicked on a website link 8% of the time when they encountered an AI Overview.
Some analysts have warned of a potential "Google Zero" scenario, where Google Search no longer sends meaningful traffic to publishers because users can get their information directly from Google's AI-powered summaries. An analysis by Authoritas suggests that a website previously ranked first in search results could see its traffic plummet by around 79% due to AI Overviews.
Strategies for Navigating the AI Landscape
As AI continues to reshape the online information landscape, news publishers are exploring various strategies to adapt and thrive. These include:
The rise of AI referrals presents both opportunities and challenges for news publishers. While AI can be a valuable source of traffic, it's crucial to recognize the broader shifts in online behavior and adapt strategies accordingly. By embracing innovation and focusing on building direct relationships with their audiences, news organizations can navigate the evolving AI landscape and ensure their long-term sustainability.
