Gannett Launches AI Chatbot 'DeeperDive' to Combat SEO Risks
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What is the Viqus Verdict?
We evaluate each news story based on its real impact versus its media hype to offer a clear and objective perspective.
AI Analysis:
While the news is generating some media attention, the core issue—publishers grappling with AI disruption—is a deeply impactful reality, making this a substantial, long-term trend, though current social media buzz is relatively contained.
Article Summary
Gannett, the parent company of USA Today and numerous other publications, is deploying ‘DeeperDive,’ a conversational AI tool aimed at directly addressing the challenges posed by generative AI to the media industry. Developed in partnership with Taboola, DeeperDive functions as an interactive chatbot that can answer reader queries, provide concise summaries of Gannett’s journalistic content, and recommend related articles across its network. This strategy represents a deliberate attempt to combat the impact of AI-powered search engines like Google’s AI Overview, which has demonstrably reduced traffic to publishers. Gannett’s CEO, Mike Reed, acknowledges this as ‘watching the same movie’ as other media companies. DeeperDive’s core functionality is based on fine-tuned open-source models, leveraging data from Gannett’s extensive network of over 600 million daily readers. Importantly, the tool prioritizes factual accuracy, drawing exclusively from real journalism and providing source citations. This approach positions DeeperDive as a proactive measure to regain reader engagement in an evolving digital landscape.Key Points
- Gannett is launching DeeperDive, an AI chatbot designed to address the impact of AI-driven traffic shifts on publisher websites.
- The chatbot will summarize Gannett’s journalistic content and suggest related articles, aiming to engage readers directly.
- Gannett is strategically attempting to regain reader engagement by harnessing AI, mirroring efforts across the media industry.