How AI Is Re-Intermediating the Web and Changing the Internet Economy

For the past 30 years, the internet (Web 2.0) focused on disintermediation — removing middlemen to allow direct consumer access to services. AI is now fundamentally reversing this.

The Core Shift: From Disintermediation to Re-intermediation

• New Middlemen: AI is inserting itself as a layer between consumers and service providers. It acts as an agent that summarises, chooses, and advises on behalf of the user.
• Economic Model Change: The internet is shifting from a consumer-facing model to a B2B play. Publishers are evolving into "wholesalers" who license content to AI models while maintaining their traditional front-facing ad and subscription models.

Key Insights

"The web is being rebuilt for AI systems that call, not humans who click. When users see AI summaries on Google, they click traditional results only 8% of the time." — Audrey Taylor-Akwenye

• Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO): Visibility is no longer about keyword ranking; it is about structured data. AI agents read the "data layer" rather than landing pages.
• Prediction: By 2028, over 75% of searches will include some form of AI response.

"Each technological wave was an extinction-level event for those who stayed manual too long... You're not just competing with better marketers. You're competing with faster intelligence." — Serge Garden

"AI tools scrape and copy massive amounts of content without permission, then repackage it as 'new.' Creators lose credit, businesses lose equity, and the internet turns into an endless copy machine." — Shir Sagie

Industry-Specific Impacts

| Sector | Impact | |--------|--------| | Retail Trading | Democratisation of algorithmic trading; build and back-test strategies via English prompts | | Freelancing | AI lowers barriers to entry but drives down wages and threatens originality | | E-commerce | Taste and curation are the new currency — avoid hypnotic and forgettable AI content | | Security | Increased risk of malicious extensions and AI-generated misinformation |

Actionable Takeaways

• Adapt or Automate: You just need to be faster and more efficient than your competitors.
• Prioritise Structure: Brands must communicate with clarity to both humans and machines. Focus on structured data.
• Focus on Curation: Human taste and strategic curation become primary competitive advantages.
• Monitor Agentic AI: Systems that don't just provide information but take action, execute transactions, and learn from feedback.

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Publishers navigating the re-intermediation shift need a clear data and AI strategy. MIMMS works with media companies to build the infrastructure and positioning that makes content discoverable to both humans and machines.