Bargain Broken: Web let Google index free content for traffic. AI answers directly, breaking this deal & choking site traffic.
AI Replaces Search: AI agents (Perplexity Comet, OpenAI Operator, Google AI Mode) generate answers, not website links.
Web Redefined: This shift "fundamentally redefines how the entire internet works," bypassing publishers/retailers.
Library Analogy: Like a librarian telling you about the book instead of giving it. The web as a vast library feels gone.
Open Web at Risk: The internet persists, but the "open web" – with its serendipity & discovery – is threatened.
Loss of Discovery: Risk losing chance encounters, rabbit holes, and delightful/unexpected finds online.
Not All Agree: Google claims the web is in an "incredibly expansionary moment," growing 45% partly due to AI.
Early Days: Very few people currently use AI for search vs. traditional methods; impact is future-focused.
Hype vs. Reality: Media focus makes AI search feel bigger than its current usage ("far bigger than it is").
Biggest Threat Yet: Web's "death" predicted before (social media, apps), but AI may pose the largest threat so far.