Chatbots vs the news, creators go to news school, ChatGPT's hefty ad rates

Clicks favour the clear, AI tracking's awkward truth, and the curious case of the teleporting readers - all in this week's Content Aware.

Published: 15:37, 29 January 2026

Corbidge comments on... the duality of Government AI plans
The UK government is sending mixed signals on AI and copyright, and the launch of the AI Skills Hub is a good example of why. It was promised as a way to prepare the people for a new technological era, but takes a relaxed view of intellectual property that doesn't fit UK law and managed to spark controversy and parody. On the other hand, the national competitions watchdog the CMA is proposing a raft of remedies from Google to claims it is monopolises search, demanding a demonstration of fair search results, and changes to AI Overviews and AI Mode. Some of the AI Skills Hub syllabus has now been pulled for review, and while the CMA demands sound great our Count of Content Rob hopes words will be followed by actions.
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Changes ahead for how Google works: have your say
Massive changes ahead for sites relying on Google traffic. After UK competition watchdog the CMA designated the search and ads firm as having "strategic market status" last October, the regulator has unveiled proposals to shake up how Google Search works in the UK. If approved it will have major implications and may well become a template for how other regulators approach the matter of search market dominance. The plan would give publishers more say over how their content feeds Google's AI, give users mandatory choice-screens, easier data portability for rival search firms to use Google data, and force the search giant to show how and why they rank results. Feedback is accepted until February 25th. More info can be found here.
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ChatGPT ads: pricy yet vague
Ever left your ads running and spent more than you expected by mistake? Consider this: ads in ChatGPT will come with sky-high costs of up to 20-times the rate for a similar ad in Google, reports say - despite coming with next to no analytics or data about performance. A mooted $60 per 1000 impressions equates to the sort of spend major advertisers budget for ultra-high profile sports events, and gives a hint at how much OpenAI is scrabbling to turn priceless dreams into fiscal reality. Aside from the cost concerns, there is the small matter of user data and tracking to contend with in the opinion of marketers and privacy experts alike.
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The bill comes due
How closely should anyone hitch their cart to the OpenAI horse anyway? Investors are asking the question according to insight from financial publication IFR, which points to a $20bn liability hole based on deals for compute and data centre deals with Microsoft, Nvidia, Amazon and others coming due soon. Even though revenues are rising and users numbers high, costs continue to run far higher with losses projected to hit $130bn, alongside previous long-term infrastructure commitments up to US$1.4tn and higher energy cost commitments. It explains why the AI firm is racing to introduce shopping and ads, and why income will have to escalate significantly from existing users if investors are to be appeased. IFR is a Glide client, so hat tip on the reporting.
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Marketing's AI leap of faith
Marketers are throwing cash at AI tracking tools, like they previously have with SEO analysis tools, to see how their brands turn up in AI search. But so far they have learned like publishers that AI results are as much miss as hit. Analytics guru Rand Fishkin and others searched AI response data to see just how variable AI answers can be for the exact same questions around brand and product recommendations. It prompted much debate and follow up as marketers wonder how to evaluate effort put into working AI chatbots as sources of traffic when the bots can be so unpredictable. For publishers, sources of research and trust in things like ranking products and services, this seems to be another opportunity to shine.
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AI's invisible links problem
We touched here on the concept of "query fanout" and why it undermines the assumptions of high-ranking URLs when it comes to AI search results citations. Ever wondered why great pages go missing in AI results? Query fanout is why. SEO wizard Mark Williams-Cook breaks it down for SEO experts and points to some fascinating research on the topic you should keep an eye on.
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The "good enough" news problem
News consumption is changing due to AI, but we still don't really now how. Researchers are trying to discern what chatbots actually get used for when it comes to news. According to a new study by CNTI, 7% of US and 20% of Indian adults now check their news with ChatGPT, Copilot, or Gemini, at least once a week. They aren't replacing their morning paper or news app, but using them as assistants to help with travel plans and daily life and for things where news only needs to be "good enough" - even if it isn't trusted as a proper source. For breaking news? Hard to say - which is why the researchers are determined to learn, so the industry can then make more informed choices about how to approach AI distributed news. NiemanLab shares more details.
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Creators meet the newsroom
We've reported in our previous issue that traditional media are adapting to changing consumption habits, brought on by influencers winning trust with personable styles and algorithms that guide younger audiences, by leaning more into presenter-style journalism, video, fixed formats, and careful use of AI. Now News Creator Corps (NCC), an industry non-profit, is tackling the problem from the other side, by bringing online voices and creators into the newsroom. It trains social media creators in newsroom-like skills, from fact-checking and citing sources to spotting AI disinformation, allowing them to become a part of a community of fellow creators as well as bridge the gap between influencers and the traditional newsrooms, fight disinformation and allow the creators to become trusted sources for the social-media hungry public.
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Dr YouTube, I presume?
Google's AI self-dealing in Overviews is not without risk or potential consequences. According to a recent German study, medical queries in AI Overviews end up citing YouTube videos vastly more regularly than actual medical expert sites or sources, which is asking for trouble and - we assume - lawsuits. Google insists most of the clips do come from established medical channels, but last we checked Mr Beast is not a vet or indeed an animal at all, yet still shows up in channels about beasts if you ask a suitably vague question as humans are wont to do.
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Where ad dollars are flowing
The global ad market will break $1 trillion in 2026, but is more money going to site owners? Err... no. While the biggest growth slices are being gobbled up by Google, Meta, and Amazon, digital video, CTV, short-form verticals and branded content are crumbs that are still worth chasing, and although AI can help it's important to remember that it still needs to feel human, measurable, and premium, or else users will simply scroll past. INMA discusses further.
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Clear content FTW
Publishers and media are steeped in the art of understandable and well structured content - it's what people respond to best, most often - but it's worth a primer on why the tech likes it too. Both modern search engines and LLMs reward clear and well-structured writing, where tools such as content-aware query matching, RAG, and conversational prompts become critical areas of understanding in building sites and content. SEO specialist Harry Clarkson-Bennett shares more info on how to make your content accessible, engaging, and grounded.
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Proof-of-life required
AI video is everywhere, and viewers are unimpressed. Animoto's State of Video 2026 report shows that consumers highlight stiff gestures, weird voices, and the lack of emotions as damaging to brands behind such videos, with 36% claiming it actually hurts the brand. Marketers are increasingly leaning on AI for speed, but they shouldn't forget why people like video in the first place - it looks real. AI is good at handling the boring and tedious stuff, but a human touch is needed.
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AI hijacks follow up questions
Google is hijacking AI Overviews users away from the (slim) chance of them clicking to your site, by teleporting searchers straight into AI Mode where it's much much harder for cited sources to be seen.
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Click, submit, shine
Think you or your editorial brand deserves the spotlight? Why not let the PPA Awards shine it on you? These awards celebrate the very best in trusted editorial brands, from breaking barriers to setting the standard. Check the categories and criteria before the the final deadline on Monday 9th February 2026. Submit, snag the recognition, and bask in the glory!!
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