Business

One year in, Business Insider’s AI search is boosting click-throughs

Published

6 hours ago

September 17, 2025

A year in, Business Insider’s AI onsite search is driving deeper engagement, though not necessarily broader adoption.

The AI search tool, which Business Insider launched in October 2024, is one of several AI-powered products developed by the company in the past year and discussed by BI CTO Harry Hope during a talk at this week’s Digiday Publishing Summit in Miami, Florida.

Although Business Insider’s AI search tool is currently only used by roughly one percent of Business Insider’s readership — Hope said that this was the percentage of readers who had used BI’s previous search tool, and that the “percentage hasn’t grown that dramatically in a year of use” — it has significantly increased the engagement of those who do use the tool, with click-through to articles increasing by 50 percent since October, per Hope.

“The goal here was to really find a way to build something that promoted journalism, not try and cover it up or paint it over with AI, right? We felt strongly that, when it comes to AI and chatbots, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution,” Hope said. “We can do creative things to actually promote the work that our journalists do day-in and day-out — and it worked quite well.”

Business Insider’s updated search tool isn’t the company’s only AI product that has grown over the past year. Consumption of BI’s AI audio briefings, which launched in June, has also grown by 20 percent month-over-month, per Hope. In addition to front-facing tools like the AI search and audio briefing, Business Insider staff have stepped up their internal use of AI, with Hope estimating that between 80 and 90 percent of staff were using AI tools — an increase from the roughly 70 percent of BI staff using AI tools in May.

“People are particularly interested in building GPTs for specific use cases. I think we have about 200 right now across our organization that people have created just for different, sometimes surprising, utilities,” said Hope, who elaborated that BI staff are using AI chatbots to simulate notes from editors or feedback from potential advertisers.

Business Insider was not the only publication that discussed AI search tools on the stage at this week’s conference. Wirecutter executive director of commerce Leilani Han said that the publication’s new AI-powered search feature had “definitely” improved click-throughs to its product recommendations, although she declined to share a specific growth figure.

Han added that Wirecutter was actively looking to optimize its content for AI search — but that it had found that the playbook for AI search optimization is not a huge shift from the playbook for traditional search optimization.

“The planning doesn’t seem to be drastically different,” she said. “For us, our focus has always been certainly the readers, and that hasn’t really changed.”

During his Publishing Summit talk, Hope acknowledged that Business Insider’s AI tools aren’t yet a significant revenue stream for the company, although BI views products such as the AI audio briefing as potential advertising or sponsorship inventory down the line. For now, Business Insider is investing in AI because it believes it will improve the company’s bottom line in the future — not because it’s a huge moneymaker in 2025.

“The ROI doesn’t look great — I’m not going to lie to you, just if you compare the dollars and cents — but we need to weigh that against where we see the future panning out, where the puck is going,” Hope said. “And part of it involves buy-in and faith from your organization that it is valuable to spend some of your resources on these tools and these technologies.”

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Business

South Africa to launch AI-powered electronic travel authorisation system

Published

2 hours ago

September 17, 2025

The Editors

The system will be officially unveiled by Minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schreiber at the Tourism Business Council of South Africa’s annual conference.

According to the government, the platform will initially process tourist visa applications for short stays of up to 90 days.

By the end of September, the system will go live at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport and Cape Town International Airport, before gradually expanding to other ports of entry and additional visa categories.

Minister Schreiber has described the initiative as a critical step toward eliminating inefficiencies and fraud: “Over time, the ETA will be expanded to more visa categories and rolled out at more ports of entry. This scale-up will continue until no person can enter South Africa without obtaining a digital visa through the ETA.”

A shift from paper to digital

The ETA builds on promises made by President Cyril Ramaphosa during his February State of the Nation Address, where he pledged to digitize immigration processes.

However, questions remain about the future of South Africa’s existing e-Visa portal, which currently serves over 30 countries.

Authorities have yet to confirm whether the ETA will replace or operate alongside the e-Visa system, raising concerns over possible duplication for travelers.

Africa’s need for openness

While the ETA aims to strengthen security and streamline border processes, experts say South Africa’s move also highlights a broader challenge: African countries remain less open to each other than to the rest of the world.

Intra-African visa restrictions have long been cited as a barrier to deeper trade and tourism links.

Greater openness, facilitated by modern systems like ETA, could help African nations unlock the full potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Easier cross-border movement would not only boost tourism but also support small businesses, regional logistics, and labor mobility, which are all essential for building competitive economies on the continent.

The bigger picture

South Africa’s ETA may be a milestone for its tourism and border security, but its broader significance lies in setting a regional precedent.

As African countries digitize entry systems, the real opportunity lies in aligning these policies to make cross-border travel smoother for African citizens.

If deployed strategically, ETA systems could help turn Africa’s longstanding vision of free movement, and by extension stronger intra-African trade, into a practical reality.

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Business

Workday to buy AI company Sana for $1.1bn

Published

2 hours ago

September 17, 2025

Laura Varley

The acquisition will enable the organisation to extend its AI capabilities.

US-based Enterprise software company Workday has announced plans to acquire AI platform Sana, in a deal valued at $1.1bn. By acquiring Sana, Workday aims to leverage the company’s AI knowledge and further itself amid a landscape that is focused on AI innovation.

“Sana’s team, AI-native approach and beautiful design perfectly align with our vision to reimagine the future of work,” said Gerrit Kazmaier, the president for product and technology at Workday.

He added, “This will make Workday the new front door for work, delivering a proactive, personalised, and intelligent experience that unlocks unmatched AI capabilities for the workplace.”

Under the terms of the definitive agreement, Workday will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Sana for approximately $1.1 bn. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year in 2026.

The acquisition comes amid a time in which organisations across the globe are racing to implement AI technologies to address and even assume the challenges that arise in the workplace.

For example, in the past few months alone French technology services company Capgemini acquired US-based WNS to extend its AI reach. Aryza, a Dublin-based SaaS provider acquired conversational artificial intelligence provider Webio for an undisclosed sum and OpenAI said it was buying Io, an AI start-up founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive and several former Apple engineers.

Several governments too have unveiled broad spectrum plans to incorporate artificial intelligence into their national strategies, with a focus on business growth and improving the lives of citizens.

But significant concerns have been raised about AI’s potential to replace humans in the workforce, as agentic AI tech is further developed and topics of ‘onboarding AI’ become more mainstream.

Forrester vp and principal analyst Craig Le Clair recently discussed the issue of ‘AI employees’, explaining that AI-led layoffs are not far off and that he would expect job descriptions for an AI agent to be a reality by 2027.

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