Internet sage Glenn Gabe has an alarming report on his site.
Traffic for the NY Times’ site Wirecutter has gone off the deep end.
Wirecutter is NY Times site that covers family stuff, electronics, home issues, etc. It’s the equivalent of what New York magazine was decades ago, all about helpful and cool stuff. There are lots of reviews of cell phones, vacuums, etc, plus practical things we need to keep going in this crazy world.
Gabe noticed that in the last month, Wirecutter — like every website — is spiraling out of control. Google, I surmise, is killing Wirecutter with AI. When someone searches for “best vacuum,” they’re getting Google’s AI answer. Previously they would have clicked on Wirecutter’s blue link.
But Google AI and all AI are ravaging websites, destroying the internet now no what kind of defense is put up. This is a frightening story and one that should be taken seriously because it’s happened to every website. If it can happen to the New York Times, it’s happening to you.
