SODP Dispatch - 27 November 2025

More than half of new articles on the internet are being written by AI – is human writing headed for extinction?

By Francesco Agnellini

The line between human and machine authorship is blurring. Graphite's recent study reveals that more than 50% of articles on the web are now generated by artificial intelligence—a tipping point that has sparked fears about the obsolescence of human writing.

The data is striking: analyzing over 65,000 randomly selected articles of at least 100 words, the study found AI dominates general-interest writing—news updates, how-to guides, lifestyle posts, reviews, and product explainers. This isn't high-stakes creative work. It's formulaic content designed to inform or persuade, not to express originality.

Yet this shift has already displaced an entire industry of freelance writers who relied on blog posts, SEO text, and social media copy. The rapid adoption of large language models has eliminated many of the gigs that once sustained them.

The question isn't whether AI will replace human writing entirely. The question is what happens to authenticity, voice, and creative work when the web is no longer primarily human-written.

Umberto Eco's 1960s essay "Apocalyptic and Integrated" offers perspective. Writing about TV and radio proliferation, Eco cautioned against extremes—viewing new media as either dire threat or miracle. Instead, he urged readers to examine how people use these tools, what risks and opportunities they create, and how they shape power structures.

Applied to AI writing, this means recognizing that the technology excels at low-stakes, formulaic content but struggles with originality and voice. Studies show writers using AI for brainstorming may feel more creative, yet their range of ideas narrows. These systems pull users toward similar wording patterns, reducing the differences that mark individual voice. Researchers also note a shift toward Western norms in non-English speakers' writing—raising concerns about AI colonialism.

The distinction between human and AI writing will likely blur further, particularly as more content emerges from human–AI collaboration. Writers draft lines, let AI expand them, then reshape the output. Even this dynamic creates questions about authenticity and the value humans attach to creative activity.

But if AI continues advancing—perhaps at slower pace than recent years—thoughtful, original, human-generated writing may become even more valuable. Texts displaying originality, voice, and stylistic intention will play crucial roles in media landscapes and in training next-generation models.

The apocalypse, as Eco might say, is postponed. The work of writers, journalists, and intellectuals will not become superfluous simply because much of the web is no longer written by humans.

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📊 AI Adoption by UK Journalists and Their Newsrooms

Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism | November 2024

The Reuters Institute surveyed 1,004 UK journalists revealing a stark divide: 56% use AI professionally at least weekly, yet 62% see it as a large threat to journalism. Only 15% view it as a significant opportunity.

The paradox deepens among daily users—they split evenly at 45% seeing opportunity versus 48% threat. Meanwhile, journalists most satisfied with complex, creative work are those who don't use AI at all. The technology hasn't delivered on promises to free journalists from low-level tasks.

AI dominates language-processing: 49% use it for transcription monthly, 33% for translation, 30% for grammar checking. Substantive applications grow—22% for story research, 16% for headlines, 10% for first drafts.

Integration remains limited. While 60% report some AI presence, three-quarters describe it as "limited." Only 32% receive organizational training. Senior journalists use AI most—18% daily versus 6% of those with limited responsibility.

Despite concerns, UK journalists overwhelmingly expect AI integration to increase—a 63 percentage point gap between those predicting increases versus decreases.

Read the full report ▸▸

By Vahe Arabian

🔍 Page Views Won't Future-Proof Your Publishing Business; Branded Search Will

AI-generated content has opened new doors for publishers. However, many are still relying on legacy metrics, such as page views, sessions, and impressions, to measure success. These numbers can indicate reach, but they don't tell the full story, especially when it comes to long-term brand value. If you're not tracking branded search, you're missing the signal that really matters.

Branded search reflects earned relevance. It shows that your audience isn't just discovering your content; they're seeking you out deliberately. That's the kind of loyalty that fuels subscriptions, partnerships, and lasting growth.

Page views can spike for the wrong reasons: clickbait headlines, trending topics, or even AI-generated content that's overly generic. But branded queries come from people who already know you. They signal authority and familiarity. They're also a strong indicator that your content, AI-assisted or not, is resonating at a deeper level.

If your AI strategy focuses solely on traffic volume, it risks becoming just noise. But if it supports your brand's credibility, tone, and voice, it becomes a tool for amplification.

Don't let your team get lost in shallow performance data. Instead, create systems that connect AI content to brand trust:

Monitor branded search volume in Google Search Console. Track month-over-month changes and look for patterns around key content or campaigns.

Segment return users engaging with AI-generated content. Use analytics platforms like GA4 or Chartbeat to see whether AI outputs are encouraging deeper engagement.

Track direct visits, scroll depth, and engaged time. These are stronger indicators of trust than bounce rate or session count.

3 tactical shifts to amplify branded search

• Use branded keywords naturally. Mention your brand 3–5 times per 1,000 words where it fits. Include bylines that reinforce institutional expertise (e.g., "By [Name], State of Digital Publishing").

• Transform generic content into brand-owned frameworks: Instead of "5 SEO Tips," write "SODP's 5-Point Local SEO Audit Framework." Brand your approaches and repeat them across channels.

• Prioritise transparency and quality in AI workflows: Clearly label AI-assisted content. Include editor's notes or expert reviews to signal trust. Don't hide the human touch, highlight it.

Here are the takeaways

1. Branded search is a forward-looking metric. It tells you whether you're building something worth remembering.

2. Page views show trends. Branded queries show trust.

3. AI should support your editorial vision, not dilute it.

4. Winning in publishing today requires more than content volume; it requires content value.

The Economist launches AI-powered research service for B2B clients | MediaPost

The Economist Intelligence Unit deployed Viewpoint AI search & summarization, its first customer-facing generative AI solution that allows financial services firms, corporations, and governments to query The Economist's archive using plain language. Users receive tailored analysis drawn from decades of EIU data, research, and analytics. Sharon Cooper, EIU's chief digital officer, describes this as "the first in a suite of ambitious developments" planned to enhance user experience ahead of 2026. The move represents a strategic shift: rather than watching AI systems scrape content without compensation, The Economist is monetizing its archive directly through integrated AI tools that leverage breadth and depth simultaneously. Publishers are learning to build AI solutions on their terms rather than surrender value to third-party systems.

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FT CEO Jon Slade discusses "Google Zero" strategy at AI Forum | Medium

Jon Slade, CEO of The Financial Times, outlined how the FT is architecting a future where Google matters considerably less—a strategy dubbed "Google Zero." The FT's paid content already accounts for 55% of total revenue, and the company is now monetizing intelligence derived from journalism, including AI-driven signals extracted from 30 years of archives that outperform markets and central banks. Slade revealed the FT maintains strict control mechanisms including a "Big Red Button" to terminate LLM licensing deals. The strategy isn't about blocking Google entirely but building an ecosystem where publisher value isn't hostage to search algorithms or scraped content. Other publishers positioned for similar independence: The Economist, New York Times, Bloomberg, Axios, and Politico Europe—all betting on owning distribution rather than renting it.

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SE Ranking identifies top factors driving ChatGPT citations | Search Engine Journal

SE Ranking analyzed 129,000 domains across 216,524 pages to determine which factors correlate with ChatGPT citations. Referring domains ranked as the strongest predictor—sites with over 350,000 referring domains averaged 8.4 citations versus 1.6 for those with up to 2,500. A threshold effect emerged at 32,000 referring domains where citations nearly doubled. Domain Trust scores showed similar patterns, while surprisingly .gov and .edu domains didn't automatically outperform commercial sites (3.2 versus 4.0 citations). Content freshness mattered significantly: pages updated within three months averaged 6 citations versus 3.6 for outdated content. Counterintuitively, FAQ schema underperformed, and highly keyword-optimized URLs earned fewer citations than broad, topic-describing ones. The findings suggest existing SEO fundamentals—backlinks, traffic, fast pages, updated content—already address factors predictive of AI visibility.

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Blog Preston demonstrates community-first model drives growth | INMA

Blog Preston, an independent local news outlet in northern England, achieves upward audience growth at a time when extracting audiences from search and social has never been more difficult. Founder Ed Walker credits the site's community-centric structure—organized as a Community Interest Company offering membership rather than paywalls—and strategic use of editorial analytics. The team prioritizes smartocto's Content Performance Index over raw pageviews, analyzing stories scoring above 800 CPI to identify what genuinely engages readers. Walker emphasizes that claiming to be "reader centric" without understanding why content performs well risks reducing successes to "happy accidents." The outlet's 2.8 FTE staff structure includes freelancers and paid university interns, contributing to a strong local information ecosystem. The lesson: growth doesn't require national scale—it requires clear purpose and focus on the intersection between community and the content that community needs.

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Farm Journal pivots from traffic metrics to brand attention and data intelligence | A Media Operator

After traffic from social media collapsed and government data sources disappeared, agriculture media company Farm Journal shifted strategy from chasing pageviews to building brand attention and launching data-as-a-service. Video engagement surged from 153,000 views and 17,000 hours of attention in April 2023 to 3 million views and 385,000 hours in recent months. Network-wide views climbed 30% year-to-date while user growth increased 12%—indicating deeper per-user engagement. The company relaunched its intelligence product in September, combining first-party behavioral, transactional, satellite, and land transaction data at the channel level rather than individual buyer level. The product hit $1 million in new sales by mid-November, with annual subscriptions ranging from $30,000 to $330,000. CEO Prescott Shibles frames the transformation: "Our Big Hairy Audacious Goal is to move from media to information. The difference is that people pay for information." Revenue is expected to jump 25% next year.

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