How AI Is Dismantling the Attention Economy and What Comes Next

AI is dismantling the attention economy by delivering synthesized answers directly, bypassing traditional search results. As of 2025, 60% of Google searches end without a click, rising to 69% for news queries, reflecting a shift in user behavior away from page visits. Google’s global share slipped below 90% for the first time in a decade, landing at 89.54% by July 2025. Publishers report real traffic declines: Forbes suffered a 50% year‑over‑year drop in July 2025, while CNN’s visits fell from about 440 million to roughly 315 million. The interception model that underpinned online advertising is eroding as AI answers arrive with cited sources, but without driving clicks.