Google in talks over AI content deals

Google is in discussions to license content from news publishers for use in its artificial intelligence products, according to a report from Bloomberg.

The move marks a shift in how the tech giant engages with the media industry, which has raised concerns over the use of journalistic content to train AI models. Google has come in for particular criticism so far compared with its AI rivals as it has rolled out products such as AI Overviews and AI Mode, the latter of which debuted in the UK this week, without striking deals with publishers.

The proposed pilot programme would reportedly involve around 20 national news outlets, offering payment in exchange for access to content used in AI-generated outputs. While details remain scarce, such deals could provide a new revenue stream for publishers struggling with declining ad income and falling referral traffic.

Other AI companies, including OpenAI and Perplexity, have already signed licensing agreements with publishers for similar purposes. Google’s entry into this space reflects growing industry pressure to compensate rights holders and clarify how generative tools use published material.

A Google spokesperson said the company is “exploring new ways to support the news ecosystem” but declined to elaborate.

The initiative follows mounting frustration from publishers who argue that Google’s AI Overviews feature reduces traffic to their websites by summarising information directly in search results. Nonetheless few publishers have opted to block Google’s AI crawlers for fear of losing visibility in standard search rankings.

David Gehring, CEO of Distributed Media Lab and a former Google news partnerships executive, said licensing was no longer optional. “Google and the other platforms realise that — if not by virtue of public policy then by virtue of technology — the platforms’ access to unlimited web data is about to end,” he said. “Licensing is now necessary for the long-term health of the news business.”