Key facts
- Google is paying about 100 websites for contributions to its AI Overviews.
- Publishers report that payments are small and tracking them is confusing.
- Niche topics like anime and gaming reportedly earn more.
- The New York Times and Penske Media have sued Google over AI content usage and traffic loss.
- The UK government has ordered Google to offer an AI opt-out for publishers.
- The European Commission is investigating Google's compensation practices for AI content.
Google is currently paying approximately 100 websites for their contributions to AI Overviews, a feature that synthesizes information from the web to answer user queries. However, publishers involved in the pilot program report that the payments are small and the criteria for what constitutes a meaningful contribution are unclear, making it difficult to track earnings and plan for future revenue.
While certain niche topics like anime and gaming have reportedly yielded higher payments, the overall confusion and low compensation could hinder the expansion of the program. Google's stated goal is to organize the world's information, which relies on the continued availability of fresh web content. If publishers reduce their output or block Google's access, the quality of AI search results could decline.
The AI contribution pilot is seen as an attempt to redefine the relationship between Google and the publishers it depends on. However, growing dissatisfaction among publishers is leading to legal action. The New York Times has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit, alleging that Google illegally used its content to train AI models. Penske Media, which owns publications like Variety and Rolling Stone, has also sued Google, claiming a loss of traffic due to the company's AI search integration practices.
Regulators are also scrutinizing Google's actions. The UK government has mandated that Google offer publishers an opt-out from AI features without negatively impacting their organic search rankings. Concurrently, the European Commission is conducting an antitrust investigation into whether Google is fairly compensating publishers for the use of their content in AI-generated answers, a process that could have significant implications for the company given its past regulatory challenges in the EU.