Google is experimenting with AI news summaries inside its Discover feed, changing how users interact with trending stories. This new test appears on both Android and iOS versions of the Google app. While not available to everyone yet, the feature is gradually rolling out to select users.
Previously, Discover displayed headlines with a clear source and a clickable link. Now, Google aims to keep users within its app by offering a short AI news summary. These summaries are pulled from multiple online sources, but not all are shown upfront. Users may see a “+1” or “+2” icon to uncover hidden sources.
This change marks a clear shift in how people might engage with news. Instead of visiting websites, users get brief summaries compiled by Google’s artificial intelligence. Google says this tool helps readers stay updated on lifestyle topics like sports and entertainment. A small icon identifies each source, but only one source gets a clickable link.
In most cases, each AI news summary includes content from about five sources. Some summaries are based on just one. This selective linking has raised concerns among writers and publishers who rely on traffic from Google. Since the launch of AI Overviews in Search, many news sites have seen sharp drops in visits.
According to the New York Post, 37 out of the top 50 news websites experienced reduced traffic. In some cases, declines reached up to 40%. Publishers now fear that these AI summaries may worsen the situation by limiting visibility even more.
Other platforms like Perplexity AI are offering similar features. Perplexity also summarizes stories from many links. However, it often hides the original sources behind a link to the curator instead. It also uses a much broader list of references, often more than 20 sources.
Writers and publishers worry these tools reduce credit to original reporting. They also raise questions about accuracy and context. Google’s own AI Overviews have faced backlash for including false or misleading content.
Despite the criticism, it seems Google will continue integrating AI tools across its products. Features like AI news summaries are only the beginning of what might become a wider trend in digital media.
For more tech updates, visit DC Brief.
