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Google moves source links higher in AI answers, citing news concerns

Google says inline source links will appear higher up in AI Overviews and AI Mode answers more often, as concern grows over how those answers affect news traffic.

On air: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on BBN Newsroom
Published
Photo: Asoundd · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0
▶ As it aired · Tech

Watch it as it aired: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on this story, from BBN Newsroom at 3:41 PM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are The Verge's, the jokes are ours.

Photo: Google
Photo: Asoundd · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

What BBN said about it

  1. Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentGoogle says links to sources will show up higher in its AI answers more often, which matters because those answers have been replacing the list of links people used to click.

  2. Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo Google is adding links to search. That's huge, I'm hyped, this is the biggest launch since the search bar.

  3. Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentIt's the thing search was already made of.

  4. Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentThe worry is that when the answer sits on top, publishers lose the visit, and that same worry is why CNN and Google just announced a partnership today.

  5. Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentThe links get a promotion.

  6. Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentGoogle hasn't said how much traffic any of this sends back to news sites, so the real question is whether you'll actually click one.

  7. Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentThey're so high up now I can barely see them.

  8. Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentThat's where the whole page used to be.

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The story so far

  1. Google's Fitbit Edge lands between two watches, and Epic's AI plan… · Ars Technica
  2. GovTech and Google DeepMind developing real-time detection of AI… · CNA
  3. Android is using AI to suss out scammers in Google Messages · The Verge
  4. AI models from OpenAI and Google easily tricked into making nudes · Ars Technica
  5. Google and Singapore build AI scam-spotter for Android · The Straits Times
  6. CNN and Google Strike Multiyear Partnership to Embrace Generative AI · Variety
  7. Google moves source links higher in AI answers, citing news concerns (this story)

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