Google has pushed back against mounting criticism that its AI Overviews and other generative-AI features are siphoning traffic from the open web. In a 6 August blog post, Vice-President of Search Liz Reid said overall organic clicks from Google Search remain “relatively stable” year-on-year and that the company is sending “slightly more” high-quality visits—defined as users who stay on a page rather than bouncing—than it did a year ago. Reid’s defence contrasts with independent research and publisher testimony. A Pew Research Center study published 22 July found that only 8 percent of visits with an AI Overview led users to click a traditional search result, compared with 15 percent when no AI summary was shown. Just 1 percent of searches containing an AI Overview produced a click on the links embedded inside the summary itself. Media companies say the traffic squeeze is already material. New York Times Chief Executive Meredith Kopit Levien recently told investors that products such as ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews are playing “a significant role” in reducing referrals to news sites. Separate industry data show AI agents now account for 12.1 percent of global search queries, while Google’s share has slipped to 88 percent—about 10 percentage points lower than in July 2024. The diverging narratives underscore a broader dispute over the economics of the web as generative AI answers become more prominent. While Google argues that longer and more complex queries create new opportunities for publishers, news outlets and content creators warn that fewer clicks threaten advertising revenue and the sustainability of online journalism.