The quiet power shift in AI search

The AI search revolution was supposed to level the playing field. Instead, it’s creating new gatekeepers.

Something has always bothered me about how all these publisher deals with OpenAI are playing out. Now there's a report that attaches some numbers to how people actually use AI search, and it's finally allowed me to put my finger on it.

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AI search is looking less like Google, more like pay-to-play

AI Search changes everything (Credit: Midjourney)

After OpenAI began signing licensing deals with various publishers, one big consequence has been largely glossed over: The media brands of those publishers would be given preferred status in ChatGPT.

OpenAI has been pretty open about this. Licensed publishers receive "priority placement" in ChatGPT’s responses, according to leaked material detailing the agreements. What this means in practice is that their content is more likely to be cited in ChatGPT Search's generated answers over material from sources that have no relationship with OpenAI. In addition, links to their articles are presented more prominently, enhancing visibility.

How much do these things matter? We now have some data that suggests it's significant, thanks to a deep dive from Press Gazette, which cited referral traffic numbers from Similarweb. In the months since OpenAI officially launched ChatGPT Search in October, referrals from the chatbot have shot up for many publishers, but by far the most cited news source has been The New York Post, with 760,000 clicks.

Picking winners

The Post is owned by News Corp, which inked a deal with OpenAI last spring — reportedly a very lucrative one, valued at $250 million over five years, according to The Wall Street Journal (also owned by News Corp). Now, the New York Post has a strong online presence, and it has historically ranked highly on all kinds of platforms (notably Facebook), so it stands to reason that a large part of its success on ChatGPT is organic.

Of course, there are several other major brands on the list of OpenAI’s most-cited, including a few brands that haven't made any deals with OpenAI: Forbes, CNN, and the BBC, among others. But there are plenty who have: People (owned by Dotdash Meredith), the AP, USAToday, and The Guardian, which just signed on this month (all the data was collected prior to that).