Jen Sorensen
@jensorensen@mastodon.social  ·  activity timestamp 14 hours ago

This week's comic, inspired by a study showing that AI summaries on top of search results are dramatically cutting traffic to websites.

#internet #technology #tech #journalism #disinformation #socialmedia #oligarchy

WEB'S END IN THE BEGINNING, THERE WERE WEBSITES. YOU VISITED THEM AND IT WAS FUN. Computer screen: Jill's Homepage LINKS AND STUMBLEUPON HELPED YOU FIND NEW ONES. Computer screen: Cheese Art GOOGLE ACTUALLY WORKED AND SENT YOU TO SITES BUILT WITH CARE BY REAL PEOPLE. Computer screen: Lovable Expert THEN CAME SOCIAL MEDIA, AND ITS ALGORITHMS DETERMINED WHAT YOU CLICKED. Computer screen: Facebook THEN AGGREGATOR SITES TOOK OFF. Computer screen: CRAP FROM AROUND THE WEB THEN SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES TRIED TO KEEP US FROM EVER LEAVING… AND WE DIDN'T. Woman on phone: SCROLL SCROLL SCROLL THEN AI BEGAN GENERATING SUMMARIES SO YOU DIDN'T NEED TO CLICK THROUGH TO A SITE ANYMORE. Computer screen: MONOPOSEARCH Summary SOON... THE AI CHATBOT BECOMES THE ONLY SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND REAL PUBLICATIONS DISAPPEAR. Woman speaking to phone: CHATBOT, WHAT IS A WEBSITE? UNTIL ONE DAY, PEOPLE WALK AWAY AND BUILD SOMETHING NEW. Woman has left devices on the ground and is walking into sunset © 2025 Jen Sorensen
WEB'S END IN THE BEGINNING, THERE WERE WEBSITES. YOU VISITED THEM AND IT WAS FUN. Computer screen: Jill's Homepage LINKS AND STUMBLEUPON HELPED YOU FIND NEW ONES. Computer screen: Cheese Art GOOGLE ACTUALLY WORKED AND SENT YOU TO SITES BUILT WITH CARE BY REAL PEOPLE. Computer screen: Lovable Expert THEN CAME SOCIAL MEDIA, AND ITS ALGORITHMS DETERMINED WHAT YOU CLICKED. Computer screen: Facebook THEN AGGREGATOR SITES TOOK OFF. Computer screen: CRAP FROM AROUND THE WEB THEN SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES TRIED TO KEEP US FROM EVER LEAVING… AND WE DIDN'T. Woman on phone: SCROLL SCROLL SCROLL THEN AI BEGAN GENERATING SUMMARIES SO YOU DIDN'T NEED TO CLICK THROUGH TO A SITE ANYMORE. Computer screen: MONOPOSEARCH Summary SOON... THE AI CHATBOT BECOMES THE ONLY SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND REAL PUBLICATIONS DISAPPEAR. Woman speaking to phone: CHATBOT, WHAT IS A WEBSITE? UNTIL ONE DAY, PEOPLE WALK AWAY AND BUILD SOMETHING NEW. Woman has left devices on the ground and is walking into sunset © 2025 Jen Sorensen
WEB'S END IN THE BEGINNING, THERE WERE WEBSITES. YOU VISITED THEM AND IT WAS FUN. Computer screen: Jill's Homepage LINKS AND STUMBLEUPON HELPED YOU FIND NEW ONES. Computer screen: Cheese Art GOOGLE ACTUALLY WORKED AND SENT YOU TO SITES BUILT WITH CARE BY REAL PEOPLE. Computer screen: Lovable Expert THEN CAME SOCIAL MEDIA, AND ITS ALGORITHMS DETERMINED WHAT YOU CLICKED. Computer screen: Facebook THEN AGGREGATOR SITES TOOK OFF. Computer screen: CRAP FROM AROUND THE WEB THEN SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES TRIED TO KEEP US FROM EVER LEAVING… AND WE DIDN'T. Woman on phone: SCROLL SCROLL SCROLL THEN AI BEGAN GENERATING SUMMARIES SO YOU DIDN'T NEED TO CLICK THROUGH TO A SITE ANYMORE. Computer screen: MONOPOSEARCH Summary SOON... THE AI CHATBOT BECOMES THE ONLY SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND REAL PUBLICATIONS DISAPPEAR. Woman speaking to phone: CHATBOT, WHAT IS A WEBSITE? UNTIL ONE DAY, PEOPLE WALK AWAY AND BUILD SOMETHING NEW. Woman has left devices on the ground and is walking into sunset © 2025 Jen Sorensen