Google CEO Sundar Pichai: “Web Publishing Is Not Dead” — What Does This Mean for the Future of Online Content?

Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google, recently gave a detailed interview that challenges a widespread narrative that web publishing is dying in the age of AI-powered search and content aggregation.   

In a candid conversation with Nilay Patel from The Verge, Pichai pushed back strongly against the idea that the web as a publishing platform is losing relevance. 

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Instead, he described a future where web content keeps growing, changing and offering more chances for creators.

Now, if you have been following trends, you might be wondering: Are publishers really losing traffic because AI is pulling answers directly to users, bypassing their sites? Isn’t AI search with features like AI Overviews and AI Mode increasingly replacing the traditional role of web pages?

Well, Pichai has some surprising statistics and perspectives that invite us to rethink these assumptions. So, what’s the CEO of Google Sundar saying exactly? 

The Web Is Growing, Not Shrinking

The first thing that caught my attention was Pichai’s claim that Google has observed a 45% increase in web content over the past two years. 

That is nearly half again as much content added in just two years, which is huge. And importantly, he pointed out this growth is not primarily driven by AI-generated content, as some critics claim. 

Instead, he says more people and creators are simply publishing more content online. Think about that for a second. 

Despite the rise of social media, apps and AI-generated summaries, the web itself, the sprawling ecosystem of websites and pages is not shrinking or dying. It is expanding. More creators, more information, more pages. If anything, people are consuming more content overall, not less.

Pichai also noted that Google measures the quality of pages, including whether content is machine-generated and they use that data to inform search results. But the raw volume of pages continues to climb. So the ecosystem of web publishing seems to be very much alive.

If The Verge Were Starting Today, Would It Start on the Web? 

This was indeed the most telling moment of the interview. Nilay said, “If I were starting The Verge today with 11 friends, I’d launch a TikTok channel not a website.”

That’s not just a hot take, it is a strategic reality. Social-first brands are exploding. Just look at platforms like Morning Brew, The Hustle or Not Boring—theybare newsletters, Substacks, and YouTube shows. Web pages? Secondary at best.

Sundar’s response? He respects that viewpoint but doesn’t fully agree. He still sees the web as central, just evolving.

He referenced the famous 2010 Wired article proclaiming “The Web Is Dead.” That headline has floated around for years and it is still not entirely true. The web isn’t dead, it’s just different.

Why Google Is the Only Tech Giant Prioritizing Traffic to the Open Web

One of the most reassuring parts of the interview for publishers came when Sundar focused on Google’s dedication to driving traffic outward sending users from Google Search to publishers’ websites. 

In fact, Sundar said:

• Google prioritizes sending more traffic out to a broader range of publishers and sources than ever before.
• They agonize over these decisions because it deeply values the open web.
• Competing platforms don’t share this commitment and newer companies often openly say they won’t send much traffic to external sites.
• Google expects to be sending a lot of traffic to the web five years from now. 

Another powerful argument Sundar made was that, among all the tech giants, Google is still the only one truly investing in driving traffic back to the open web.

“I would challenge, I think more than any other company, we think about, we prioritize sending traffic to the web. No one sends traffic to the web in the way we do.” 

He drew a clear line between Google and what he called “newer emerging companies” presumably Meta, TikTok, OpenAI who “openly talk about it as something they are not going to do.” 

Real-World Examples Reflecting Google’s Approach

Remember when “Featured Snippets” came out years ago? Everyone panicked. Google is stealing our traffic! But what actually happened? 

Studies showed that while the click-through rate decreased in some cases, overall engagement with web content from search still remained strong and in some niches, even increased.

Sundar believes this AI wave will follow a similar trajectory. He even pointed out:

• Google’s referral traffic is higher quality now.
• Metrics like time spent and engagement are going up.
• AI-driven summaries still require source references, which push people outward. 

This was perhaps the most telling moment of the interview. But Sundar kept circling back to one key principle:

“If we do the wrong thing, users won’t use our product. They’ll go somewhere else.”

In other words, Google knows it has to keep publishers alive because without them, the web itself collapses and Google’s value along with it.

What Does This Mean for New Publishing Ventures?

If you are wondering where to invest your time and resources today, here is what the interview suggests:

• Adapt to Evolving Platforms

Sundar acknowledged that information consumption is expanding across multiple platforms, not just traditional websites. Publishers should diversify across platforms like YouTube, TikTok, podcasts and AI-integrated formats, not just rely on the classic web model.

• Focus on Quality and Context

Publishers must prioritize high-quality, original content that adds value, offers insight and is well-sourced. 

• Use Google’s Commitment to the Web

Web publishers should not abandon their digital properties. Instead, they should optimize for how Google’s AI surfaces content with schema markup, clarity and depth. 

• Stay Resilient During Transitions

Ventures must be patient and strategic. In moments of change (like the shift to AI overviews), success comes to those who adapt early and stay consistent. 

So is Web Publishing Dead? 

Pichai’s interview reminds us that despite challenges and transformations, the web is very much alive and Google believes it will remain a cornerstone of information for years to come.