Online publishers are seeing search referrals implode as Google swaps blue links for AI-generated summaries. The WSJ reports that features like AI Overviews and the new conversational AI Mode are siphoning organic traffic — Business Insider slumped 55% since 2022, HuffPost and The Washington Post face half their search traffic lost — forcing layoffs and strategy pivots. Google claims AI tools boost engagement and still promote links, but publishers say the shift turns Google into an “answer engine,” threatening journalism and prompting deals or lawsuits over content rights