“Spend less than you make […]. Don’t go into debt.” #Corollary

it’s a toll booth on the road to the consumer.

AI is not just a tool

Let’s talk money. Google, Facebook, and the entire digital ad industry run on one engine: impressions. Ads don’t need to be clicked; they just need to be seen.

But when ChatGPT summarizes an article, the user doesn’t see the banner, the pop-up, or the sidebar. No impressions = no revenue. And even if OpenAI compensated publishers for the text, advertisers won’t pay for a ghost impression.

Weak businesses blame the storm.

That’s like renting billboard space inside a tunnel. Nobody sees it, so nobody pays.

Writers, researchers, and publishers are the fuel of the internet. But when AI scrapes, summarizes, and paraphrases — without proper compensation — creators lose the incentive to produce.

You can’t run an engine forever without filling the tank. And right now, AI is running lean on borrowed fuel.

The answer isn’t panic or nostalgia. It’s structure. Licensing models. API monetization. Profit-sharing.

Even embedding ads into AI responses. Content is not charity. It’s an asset. Treat it like one.

The Future Belongs to Builders, Not Bystanders

Yes, web publishing is changing. But this isn’t the end — it’s the beginning of a new business model. One where value doesn’t vanish at the search bar, and creators get paid for creating.

In Buffett’s words: “Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful.” Now is the time for publishers to be bold. It is the time to innovate. Publishers should reclaim the value they’ve built for decades.

And remember, traffic is temporary. Trust is forever.