Research from APMA reveals that artificial intelligence has transformed the way consumers discover products online and how creators are rewarded for their value.
AI is powering search, chatbot assistants, and shopping agents – and research from the Affiliate & Partner Marketing Association (APMA) has revealed that these technologies are putting click-based attribution under immense pressure.
Zero-click journeys are becoming ever more common, and this is creating significant challenges for an industry built on monetising traffic links.
A survey from the APMA revealed that 42% of publishers have seen a decline in Google organic search traffic, with 46% reporting AI has already had a negative impact on traffic or earnings.
Very few (11%) reported having received more than 10% of website sessions from AI platforms, which suggests that AI referrals are not replacing lost Google traffic.
AI-driven visibility is included in the way publishers operate commercially in an explicitly monetised way for just 12% of survey respondents – with a further 22% having discussed, but not monetised the strategy, and another 25% exploring this internally.
The industry is embracing AI, the research confirmed, with two-thirds (66%) of respondents using or planning to use the technology. But, a third (34%) cannot measure traffic arriving from AI platforms, and only 13% have begun commercialising AI visibility within their partnership strategies.
This highlights a worrying gap between the tech already deployed by consumers and the affiliate marketers who are struggling to understand their place in an evolved landscape.
James Bentley, author of the report on behalf of the APMA AI Taskforce, said: “The affiliate industry has always adapted to changes in technology – from search engines and mobile to social commerce.
“AI represents the next major evolution, but this time the challenge isn’t simply reaching consumers differently; it’s recognising and rewarding influence when the traditional click is no longer the only measure of value. This report is intended to start that conversation and provide a practical roadmap for where the industry could go next.”
A third of publishers (36%) are using AI to engage with their audiences, and a further 30% are planning to do so – outlining that AI will be a significant vector for change going forward.
Research from McKinsey reinforces the transformation the industry faces, outlining that 20-50% of traditional web traffic is at risk from LLMs, and AI search is set to affect over $750bn in revenue by 2028.
Ofcom data also found prolific use of AI, with the first eight months of 2025 seeing 1.8 billion visits to ChatGPT in the UK – almost five times the volume of the same period in 2024.
As such, it’s clear publishers will be forced to adapt or risk losing their authority.
