Google’s new Gemini Deep Research tool could spell trouble for affiliate and informational websites. Speculation suggests that this AI-driven research assistant might bypass the need for traditional product and travel reviews, cutting into affiliate earnings, ad revenues, and web traffic. Even websites fortunate enough to be cited in the tool’s reports might see diminished engagement.
What Is Gemini Deep Research?
Gemini Deep Research, launched on December 11, is a feature exclusive to Gemini Advanced subscribers. It promises to save users time by crafting a research plan based on their queries, executing it, and generating detailed, easy-to-read reports. According to Google:
“Deep Research uses AI to explore complex topics on your behalf and provide you with findings in a comprehensive, easy-to-read report...”
Users can refine the research process for increasingly precise results. However, this functionality might inadvertently hurt the websites providing the underlying information.
Affiliate Links and Ad Revenues at Risk
When users search for products, Gemini Deep Research summarizes the pros and cons, often so comprehensively that they can skip visiting review websites altogether. Instead, users might proceed directly to retailers, bypassing affiliate links and reducing potential revenue streams for informational sites.
Marie Haynes from YouKnowAI observed:
“I’ve found in my own research so far that I’m not clicking on sites as I get what I need to know from the research and then go to official sites or perhaps Amazon...”
If these patterns persist, even high-authority sites could face reduced traffic and revenue.
Is Google Out of Touch with Web Creators?
In a recent interview, Google CEO Sundar Pichai struggled to address how the company supports the broader web ecosystem, focusing instead on YouTube. Critics argue that platforms like YouTube benefit multinational corporations rather than smaller web creators.
A Grim Comparison: Are Creators Being Farmed?
Some liken Google’s approach to the classic Twilight Zone episode, To Serve Man. In the story, aliens provide humans with advanced technology, seemingly for altruistic reasons, only for it to be revealed that their true intention is to farm humans for food.
With tools like Gemini Deep Research, creators might feel more like a resource being harvested than a partner being supported.
The Big Question
As Gemini Deep Research reshapes how users interact with online content, creators must ask:
Is Google providing value to the web ecosystem, or simply taking from it?
What do you think—has Google crossed the line, or is this just the next step in AI evolution?
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