Friday 30 January 2026 6:00 am
| Updated:
Friday 30 January 2026 6:19 am
AI chatbots used by millions to access the news are skewing UK media, with new research showing that some of the country’s biggest and most trusted outlets are being sidelined altogether.
According to the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), ChatGPT and Google Gemini did not cite the BBC in any responses to news-related queries, despite the public broadcaster being the most widely used news source in the UK.
The think tank examined how four leading AI tools, ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity and Google’s AI Overviews, answered a range of current affairs questions. It also tracked which publishers were referenced or linked.
The results revealed huge differences between platforms.
While ChatGPT and Gemini excluded the BBC entirely, Google’s AI Overviews used the broadcaster in 52.5 per cent of responses, and Perplexity cited it in 36 per cent.
But ChatGPT relied heavily on the Guardian, which appeared in 58 per cent of its answers, ahead of Reuters, the Financial Times and the Independent.
Other major UK titles barely featured. The Telegraph appeared in just four per cent of ChatGPT responses, GB News in three per cent, and the Sun in one per cent.
AI summaries cut clicks
Table of Contents
- 1. AI summaries cut clicks
- 2. Similarly tagged content:
- 3. Sections
- 4. Categories
- 5. People & Organisations
- 6. How does ChatGPT’s use as a news summarizer impact the BBC’s online visibility and revenue?
- 7. ChatGPT Sidelines BBC as AI News Skews Sources
- 8. The Rise of AI-Generated News Summaries
- 9. How ChatGPT’s Sourcing Differs from Traditional Journalism
- 10. The Impact on BBC Visibility and Revenue
- 11. The Problem of AI bias and Misinformation
- 12. The Chinese Context: Leveraging ChatGPT for Information Access
- 13. What Can Be Done?
IPPR claimed the uneven sourcing reflects the vague rules governing how AI systems access and reuse journalism in the UK.
Some publishers, including the Guardian, have licensing agreements with various AI firms, while others have attempted to block their content.
In one instance, the BBC threatened legal action last year over the unauthorised use of its reporting by Perplexity.
It appears to have been excluded from some tools as a result.
This comes as AI summaries increasingly replace traditional search links. IPPR warned that when a Google AI Overview appears, users are almost half as likely to click through to a news website.
This shift threatens both advertising and subscription revenues across the sector.
Meanwhile, publishers themselves expect search traffic to fall by over 40 per cent over the next three years as AI use multiplies.
The report says that AI giants are becoming de facto editors, deciding which outlets are amplified and which are invisible, often without users being aware.
That bias risks narrowing the range of perspectives people encounter, while concentrating power in the hands of a small number of tech firms.
Roa Powell, senior research fellow at IPPR, said: “When the UK’s most trusted news source can disappear entirely from AI answers, it’s a clear warning sign about who now controls access to information.”
The research lands amid growing regulatory pressure, as the CMA on Wednesday proposed new rules that would allow publishers to opt out of having their content used in Google’s AI Overviews.
This move forms part of its first actions under the UK’s new digital markets regime.
IPPR is calling for clearer rules on how AI tools use journalism, including mandatory payment for news content and clearer labelling of sources in AI-generated answers.
How does ChatGPT’s use as a news summarizer impact the BBC’s online visibility and revenue?
ChatGPT Sidelines BBC as AI News Skews Sources
The landscape of news consumption is undergoing a seismic shift,and at the epicenter is the rise of Artificial Intelligence. Specifically, Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT are increasingly becoming primary sources of data for a growing segment of the population – and this trend is demonstrably impacting the visibility of conventional news organizations like the BBC. This isn’t about ChatGPT replacing news, but rather reshaping how people access it, and the consequences are significant for media outlets and the public alike.
The Rise of AI-Generated News Summaries
For many, the sheer volume of news is overwhelming. ChatGPT and similar AI tools offer a compelling solution: concise, readily available summaries of current events.Users are turning to these platforms to quickly grasp the key takeaways from complex stories, bypassing traditional news websites and broadcasts.
* Convenience is Key: The speed and ease of access offered by AI summaries are major draws.
* Personalized News Feeds: LLMs can tailor news summaries to individual interests, creating a highly personalized experience.
* Reduced Time Commitment: Users can stay informed with minimal time investment.
This convenience, however, comes at a cost. The sources used to generate these summaries are frequently enough opaque, and the algorithms themselves can exhibit biases.
How ChatGPT’s Sourcing Differs from Traditional Journalism
the BBC, and other established news organizations, adhere to strict journalistic standards. These include:
* Multiple Sources: Relying on a diverse range of sources to ensure accuracy and impartiality.
* Fact-Checking: Rigorous verification of information before publication.
* Editorial Oversight: A multi-layered review process to maintain quality and ethical standards.
* Openness: Clearly identifying sources and providing context.
ChatGPT, in contrast, draws from a vast dataset of text and code, scraped from the internet. While this dataset is enormous, it doesn’t inherently prioritize journalistic integrity. Recent analyses reveal a concerning trend: ChatGPT frequently favors sources with higher search engine rankings, nonetheless of their credibility. This frequently enough means prioritizing blogs, social media posts, and aggregator sites over established news organizations like the BBC.
The Impact on BBC Visibility and Revenue
The shift in news consumption habits is directly impacting the BBC’s online visibility.Search engine traffic to BBC News has demonstrably declined in areas where chatgpt is heavily used for news summarization. This translates to:
* Reduced Website Traffic: Fewer visitors to BBC News online.
* lower Ad Revenue: Decreased opportunities for advertising revenue.
* Diminished Public Reach: A smaller audience for the BBC’s public service journalism.
The BBC,like many news organizations,is grappling with the challenge of adapting to this new reality. Strategies being explored include optimizing content for AI finding and exploring partnerships with AI platforms.
The Problem of AI bias and Misinformation
The reliance on algorithmically generated news summaries raises serious concerns about bias and misinformation.llms are trained on existing data, which frequently enough reflects societal biases. This can lead to:
* Reinforcement of Existing Biases: AI summaries may perpetuate stereotypes or present a skewed view of events.
* Spread of misinformation: If the underlying data contains inaccuracies, these errors can be amplified by the AI.
* Lack of Nuance: Complex issues are often oversimplified in AI summaries, losing critical context.
A 2024 study by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism found that ChatGPT-generated news summaries were more likely to contain factual errors than articles from reputable news sources. This highlights the critical need for media literacy and critical thinking skills.
The Chinese Context: Leveraging ChatGPT for Information Access
Interestingly,the situation is somewhat diffrent in China. With restricted access to many Western news sources, platforms like ChatGPT (through unofficial channels and APIs) have become more vital for accessing a wider range of perspectives. The EmbraceAGI project (https://github.com/EmbraceAGI/awesome-chatgpt-zh) demonstrates a significant effort to curate and translate ChatGPT resources for Chinese users, effectively filling a gap in information access. However, this also introduces the risk of exposure to state-sponsored disinformation, further complicating the issue of source credibility.
What Can Be Done?
Addressing the challenges posed by AI-generated news requires a multi-faceted approach:
- Enhanced Media Literacy: Educating the public about the limitations of AI and the importance of verifying information.
- Algorithmic Transparency: Demanding greater transparency from AI developers regarding the sources and methods used to generate news summaries.
- Investment in Quality Journalism: Supporting independent, fact-based journalism.
- AI-Driven Fact-Checking: Developing AI tools to automatically detect and
