Google looks to bleed publishers with new AI partnerships that would cull their content

Google is reportedly looking to bleed publishers yet again — threatening to exclude them from a lucrative new artificial-intelligence partnership unless they allow the tech giant to train its AI bots on their valuable content.In recent months, Google has been pitching news and entertainment publishers on a new pilot program that would promote their content in Google’s AI Overviews – a big boost to organizations that have faced significant declines in web traffic, the Information reported.But in exchange, Google wants broad access to the publishers’ content, including the right to potentially use it to train AI bots, a person familiar with the project told the Information.Google, which launched its Gemini chatbots in 2023, is driving a hard bargain.

It warned publishers that if they don’t agree to the new program, they will eventually lose out on payments from the current content-licensing arrangement, known as Showcase.Showcase is being ended, Google reportedly told some companies.“This is Google’s game.

They’re gonna dominate here,” said Jason Kint, chief executive of Digital Content Next, a trade group that represents online publishers including the New York Times, the Washington Post and News Corp, The Post’s owner.“There’s no fair deal discussions that can happen with Google.It’s really a matter of how much money they want to drop on an individual organization,” Kint told The Post.A spokesperson for Google told The Post: “As people’s news preferences change, we’ve been expanding our partnerships through our News AI pilot program, working with a wide range of publishers to explore how AI can drive more engaged audiences.”The spokesperson added that Google has been “testing features” to “help people cut through information overload, easily decide where to click out, and connect with news in different formats.” Publishers have complained that traffic to their websites from search results has already plummeted – some...