AI-Generated Responses Are Already Cutting Into Media Traffic: Figures from the AOP and Deloitte Report

Digital revenue for the British media fell by 4.55% in the first quarter of 2026—following four consecutive quarters of growth. The Association of Online Publishers and Deloitte, which track an index of 13 publishers, call this the “first tremors” of an AI-related “earthquake.”

The main hypothesis is that users are increasingly getting answers directly within the AI interface and are not visiting websites. A separate AOP study, published by Press Gazette, provides specific details: only 26% of ChatGPT users click on at least one media link in the response. For Google Search with AI Overview, the figure is slightly higher—34%. If an AI Overview appears in Google search results, the likelihood of clicking on the source drops by 18%.

The categories that saw the sharpest declines were those that can logically be replaced by AI responses: job ads (−44.84%), other classifieds (−38.17%), and off-platform traffic (−20.27%). The “other” category, which includes data sales, content blocks, and AI licensing, also showed a decline—AOP suggests that this was driven by the replacement of publishers’ content in various referral channels.

At the same time, 62% of index participants reported growth. AOP concludes that the main losses are concentrated among a minority that is most vulnerable to changes in the information ecosystem.

Premium advertising, on the other hand, is growing—display advertising rose by 5.06%, online video by 1.29%, sponsorships by 0.91%, and subscriptions by 0.63%. All survey respondents cited advertising as a high priority—a year ago, 75% held this view. This partially offsets the losses, but Deloitte warns that significant shortfalls in other revenue streams point to the need for diversification.

A separate cause for concern is that digital audio fell by 46.98% for the second consecutive quarter. The losses in absolute terms are small (£1.87 million), but the AOP calls this trend “alarming.”

Here’s a paradox worth noting for AI product developers: although users rarely click on links, their trust in an AI-generated response depends on whether it cites a recognizable media brand. AOP explicitly confirms the importance of verified publisher content for AI companies. This means that the relationship between publishers and AI platforms is not merely about “stealing traffic”—there is a business case, and it will continue to strengthen.

All 100% of index participants now plan to cut costs (compared to 50% a year ago) and pursue M&A deals (compared to 25% a year ago). Media companies are shifting into a mode of aggressive optimization.

Source: Hacker News - Newest: ""AI" "LLM""