Taboola launches DeeperDive AI chatbot for readers' questions

In early June 2025, Taboola, known for its controversial advertising methods, introduced a new AI chatbot named DeeperDive. This AI tool is particularly aimed at enhancing reader engagement on prominent news platforms, USA Today and The Independent, by answering readers’ questions sourced from reliable journalism. Initially, the DeeperDive chatbot will be tested among only one percent of USA Today’s audience, allowing Taboola to ensure quality and user experience during the initial rollout phase. The DeeperDive chatbot operates by allowing readers to not only pose questions but also directly highlight portions of articles for more context-specific inquiries. It aims to improve the reader’s understanding of complex topics by providing AI-generated responses that are closely aligned with factual data. As an added feature, the chatbot will supply related articles and sponsored links to generate advertising revenue while facilitating reader exploration. This integration signifies a strategic move by Taboola to evolve from traditional chumbox ads into more sophisticated, AI-driven user engagement tools. Taboola’s progressive step towards AI integration in news consumption comes with its share of scrutiny. The media landscape is beginning to see an increase in AI-generated content, although concerns about trust, accuracy, and the implications for traditional journalism continue to rise. A previous attempt by USA Today to deploy AI-generated sports reporting faced backlash, signaling potential risks involved in automating journalistic practices. However, Taboola's new approach aims to strike a balance between AI efficiency and human oversight, underscoring the importance of ‘trusted journalism’ as a foundation for AI responses. The effectiveness of such innovations remains to be seen. While the early rollout limits audience exposure, a broader implementation may depend on the initial feedback from users and the surrounding media context. This sophisticated chatbot could redefine how online readers interact with content, potentially paving the way for more AI integrations within major news outlets in the coming years. As media companies navigate the evolving landscape of AI, the balance between preserving journalistic integrity and leveraging technology remains at the forefront of industry discussions.