Google’s AI search changes upended online publishing

<figure> <img alt="" data-caption="" data-portal-copyright="Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images" data-has-syndication-rights="1" src="https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/STK414_STK480_AI_DIS_MISINFO_CVIRGINIA_D.jpg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;crop=0,0,100,100" /> <figcaption> </figcaption> </figure> <p class="wp-block-paragraph"><em>This is</em> <a href="https://www.theverge.com/the-stepback-newsletter">The Stepback</a><em>, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more about AI's impact on the web, follow <a href="https://www.theverge.com/authors/emma-roth">Emma Roth</a>. </em>The Stepback<em> arrives in our subscribers' inboxes on Sunday at 8AM ET. Opt in for </em>The Stepback<em> <a href="https://www.theverge.com/newsletters">here</a>.</em></p> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">How it started</h2> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">The digital publishing industry has relied on Google for a very long time. Many outlets spent time and money optimizing their webpages to show up at the top of the search engine, with the goal of getting readers to click on their articles or discover their websites for the first time. For years, the relationship between Google and publishers was largely reciprocal; online pub …</p> <p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/column/1017983/google-ai-search-online-publishing">Read the full story at The Verge.</a></p>