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Google Begins Pilot Licensing Talks With 20 National News Outlets

The initiative represents Google’s first major expansion of paid news partnerships since its AP tie-up, following similar deals by OpenAI and Perplexity AI.

FILE – Google logos are shown when searched on Google in New York, Sept. 11, 2023. Google said Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, it’s temporarily stopping its Gemini artificial intelligence chatbot from generating images of people a day after apologizing for “inaccuracies” in historical depictions that it was creating.(AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
Google CEO Sundar Pichai during his meeting with Polish PM Donald Tusk at Google for Startups Campus In Warsaw in Warsaw, Poland on February 13, 2025. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto)

Overview

  • Google has quietly reached out to about 20 national news organizations to join a pilot content-licensing program for its AI applications.
  • A spokesperson confirmed the company is exploring new partnerships but declined to disclose terms or scope of the pilot.
  • The move builds on Google’s earlier licensing agreement with the Associated Press and a 2024 pact with Reddit.
  • OpenAI and Perplexity AI have already started compensating publishers for content used in their chatbots, providing a template for Google’s approach.
  • Publishers and trade groups have pushed for formal licensing frameworks as shrinking ad revenues and legal challenges underscore the need for fair compensation.