Publication Date: 23 March 2026
I had the chance to provide input to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Media Watch team on the question of changes in website traffic amid increased adoption of AI search summaries as part of everyday web experience.
Additional input provided to the show:
Based on my expertise in web history and the history of technologies, I understand that, in the current era with the rise of AI interfaces, we are witnessing a shift from the open web (where anyone could publish and anyone could access public content) towards more curated, organised content by large tech organisations. In my view, this mirrors the shift from local retailers to major grocery and tech retailers who transformed the market and continue to dominate. The web is heading in that direction, possibly with the aid of AI tools.