Journalism of Courage
Italian news publishers have demanded an investigation into Google’s AI Overviews, warning that the AI-generated summaries feature is a “traffic killer” that could threaten the survival of traditional media.
According to a report by The Guardian, the Italian federation of newspaper publishers, FIEG, has filed a formal complaint with Agcom, Italy’s communications regulator, citing concerns over the impact on media diversity and advertising revenue.
FIEG additionally criticised Google’s AI Mode, which presents information from multiple sources in a chatbot format. “Google is becoming a traffic killer,” the federation said, The Guardian reported, highlighting risks of reduced transparency and potential disinformation affecting democratic debate.
Research cited by FIEG supports their concerns. A July study by UK analytics firm Authoritas found that AI Overviews caused up to an 80% drop in clickthroughs and gave prominence to YouTube links, benefiting Google’s own services. A Pew Research Center study in the US also showed users clicked on links under AI summaries only once in 100 instances. Google has dismissed these findings as inaccurate and methodologically flawed.
The feature was introduced in Italy in March. In September, Italy became the first EU country to enact comprehensive AI regulations, aligned with the EU’s AI Act, which includes restrictions on child access and criminal penalties for harmful uses such as deepfakes. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government hailed the legislation as a key step in shaping AI use in Italy.
