Google Seeks Broad Content Access in New AI Pilot Program

Google is offering publishers placement in its AI Overviews feature while seeking rights to use their content to train AI systems. The company told some publishers that participation in the new pilot is required to maintain payments under the current Showcase licensing arrangement, according to the Information.

Showcase, which pays a flat annual fee, is being phased out. Publishers that decline the new terms would lose Showcase payments once the program ends. Those that sign on would receive the same annual fee but grant broader content-use rights.

Several publishers reported traffic drops of 30 to 40 percent in the year after AI Overviews launched. A Pew Research Center study found users who see an AI Overview are half as likely to click through to source sites. Google stated it continues to send billions of clicks to websites daily and described the Pew methodology as flawed.

Publishers rely on advertising revenue tied to site visits and on subscription income.

A person familiar with the talks said Google warned that publishers refusing the new program would eventually lose Showcase revenue. The company controls about 90 percent of the search market. Google launched its Gemini chatbots in 2023 and first announced the AI pilot in December with initial partners including the Washington Post and the Guardian.

A company spokesperson said the program aims to help users find news in new formats. Several publishers have filed lawsuits against tech companies over the use of their content to train AI models. In 2023 the New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft on similar grounds.