The article discusses challenges with AI search tools like Google's Gemini and Grok 3, which frequently misdirect users to syndicated versions of articles rather than their original sources. Many citations led to fabricated or broken URLs, creating frustration for publishers who must balance allowing AI access and maintaining website traffic. Mark Howard from Time magazine voiced concerns over the need for transparency. While acknowledging issues, he believes improvements are on the horizon, emphasizing that today represents a low point for these technologies.
Even when these AI search tools cited sources, they often directed users to syndicated versions of content on platforms like Yahoo News rather than original publisher sites.
These issues create significant tension for publishers, which face difficult choices. Blocking AI crawlers might lead to loss of attribution entirely.
Mark Howard, chief operating officer at Time magazine, expressed concern to CJR about ensuring transparency and control over how Time's content appears via AI-generated searches.
Despite these issues, Howard sees room for improvement in future iterations, stating, "Today is the worst that the product will ever be."
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