Resources For TV Channel Developers

 By Stephen Upstone, CEO & Founder, LoopMe

Generative AI is rapidly changing how people find information online. As answer engines condense multi-step browsing journeys into direct responses, traditional discovery patterns have completely transformed. Approximately 60% of searches now end without a click onwards to a website, meaning that the open web model that long underpinned digital advertising is becoming less predictable as a scalable source of reach.

With consumers now able to ask direct questions and get comprehensive answers with generative AI, they’re also saving time. This time is being redistributed across other digital environments, particularly those built around entertainment. And this evolution of user behavior has profound implications for media planning and buying.

The web is losing its grip

The open web worked well for advertisers because it produced a reliable chain. Browsing created page views, which created inventory, and supported measurable traffic flows through referrals and site visits. But by changing how discovery works, AI has weakened that chain.

With AI overviews surfacing answers at the top of the results page, consumers don’t need to go further. AdExchanger reports anecdotal evidence that some publishers are already seeing traffic declines of between 20% and 30%, with certain cases as high as 90%.

LoopMe’s research backs this up; nearly one in five people say they spend less time browsing the web since adopting AI tools. The decline is clear across all age groups, and particularly pronounced among 55-64 year olds. Among frequent AI users, around 30% now use AI more than traditional search engines. McKinsey forecasts that between 20% and 50% of traditional search traffic may be at risk as more consumer journeys resolve within AI-powered experiences.

And it’s not just the volume of web traffic that’s changing, but the composition as well. The web visits that consumers do still make…