Tech Friday: The Double-Edged Sword of AI on the Internet
Posted By RichC on July 18, 2025
The rise of AI in search and browsing is a double-edged sword. On one hand, AI-powered tools offer efficiency, delivering quick, synthesized answers without the need to navigate multiple websites. For users, this can feel like a leap forward—why sift through links 
when a chatbot can summarize the best information? However, this convenience comes at a steep cost to the open web’s ecosystem, which thrives on human interaction, curiosity, and the organic discovery of content.
This week the Internet articles reaching my feed have been warning about AI “choking off” traffic to content sites is alarming but not hyperbolic. Websites, from independent blogs to major publishers, rely on search engine referrals to sustain their business models. If AI agents bypass these sites entirely, creators lose not only revenue but also the ability to engage audiences directly. This risks creating a homogenized internet where a few AI gatekeepers control what information surfaces, stripping away the diversity and serendipity that make the web valuable. The analogy of a librarian summarizing a book instead of handing it to you is apt—while convenient, it robs you of the chance to flip through the pages yourself and stumble upon unexpected insights.
Yet, dismissing AI’s impact as mere hype, as SparkToro CEO Rand Fishkin suggests, feels shortsighted. The data is clear: AI-driven tools are growing rapidly, and their potential to reshape how we interact with information is undeniable. An article in TheWeek.com’s tech section, it was noted that while traditional search still dominates, the launch of tools like Comet and Google’s AI Mode signals a shift toward a future where AI mediates our online experiences. This could lead to a less vibrant web, where the joy of “falling down rabbit holes” or chancing upon niche content is replaced by sterile, algorithmically curated responses.
The counterargument is that the internet has always evolved. Social networks and apps didn’t kill the web, and AI might not either. Instead, it could force creators to adapt, perhaps by prioritizing premium. However, this optimism assumes a level playing field, which is unlikely when tech giants with vast resources dominate AI development. Smaller creators risk being sidelined, unable to compete with AI-generated “slop” or the algorithms that favor it.
In my view, the open web’s survival hinges on balancing AI’s efficiency with the human curiosity that fuels discovery. Tech companies must prioritize transparency and fair compensation for content creators, perhaps through revenue-sharing models or policies that ensure AI directs users to original sources. Without such measures, the internet risks becoming a walled garden, where a handful of AI systems dictate what we see, eroding the chaotic, beautiful mess that has defined the web for decades. The challenge is not just technological but philosophical: can we preserve the internet’s spirit of openness in an age of AI dominance?
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