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Gannett Launches AI Chatbot 'DeeperDive' to Combat SEO Risks

AI Chatbot Gannett USA Today Taboola Artificial Intelligence SEO
September 15, 2025
Source: Wired AI
Viqus Verdict Logo Viqus Verdict Logo 8
Strategic Adaptation
Media Hype 6/10
Real Impact 8/10

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.

Why It Matters

This news is critically important for the media industry as it signals a direct response to the disruptive forces of generative AI. The launch of DeeperDive reflects a broader industry-wide struggle to adapt to a landscape where AI is increasingly dominating content discovery. Understanding Gannett’s approach – utilizing AI not just for automation, but for direct reader engagement – provides valuable insight into how traditional publishers are attempting to retain readership and revenue in the face of significant technological change. It forces a critical examination of the future of content distribution and the role of publishers in the age of AI.

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