Panic.

AI is draining the value from empty clicks, forcing a long-overdue reckoning for media brands built on search alone.

There are signs that the traffic apocalypse so many publishers fear is starting to happen. Many tech sites are seeing their traffic numbers plummet, with some digital mainstays experiencing drops of 90% or more as AI search begins to drain empty clicks from the web. But for the organizations that spent years building loyal audiences and direct relations…