Google tests paying publishers for AI answers in Search

In short: Google is reportedly testing a program that pays publishers when their content is used in its AI search features.

What happened

Google has launched a pilot program that pays publishers for their contributions to its AI-powered search features, according to a report from The Information that was cited by The Verge.

The pilot reportedly includes around 100 publishers. It started less than a year ago, and was first reported by Digiday. The idea is to pay publishers based on how much their content helps power Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode in Search, plus Google’s Gemini chatbot.

AI Overviews and AI Mode are features that try to answer your question directly on the search page, instead of making you click through to a website (like getting a summary at the top of a book instead of reading the chapters). Publishers have complained that this can reduce the number of readers who visit their sites.

The Information reported that payments can be significant. One publisher that joined when the program began earned over $1 million in a year. Another publisher that joined a few months ago has reportedly earned about $50,000 to $60,000.

Why it matters

This test is happening while Google faces lawsuits and regulatory pressure over whether AI answers in Search are hurting publishers’ traffic and revenue. If Google expands payments, it could change how news and other websites get paid when their work shows up inside AI-generated summaries, and it could influence what information people see first when they search.

Source: The Verge AI