Google's early attempt to pay websites for AI answers is struggling
Google's pilot program to pay publishers for content used in AI-generated search answers is struggling, with many participants reporting negligible revenue. Consequently, some larger publishers are opting out of the program to leverage better negotiation terms.
Why it matters
This highlights the growing tension between AI developers and content creators over the economic value of web traffic and data usage in the age of generative AI.
Content conundrum Google’s early attempt to pay websites for AI answers is struggling Many sites see just one-tenth of one percent of their advertising revenue from AI payments.
31 Credit: Aurich Lawson Credit: Aurich Lawson Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav Google’s shift to AI-powered search has upended the way the world’s largest search engine generates web traffic, rankling large and small publishers alike. In recent months, the company has experimented with paying publishers when their content appears in AI answers, but a new report claims the payouts in this pilot program are miniscule. That has publishers in the program, as well as those watching from the sidelines, feeling skeptical.
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