Major news publishers face a tough choice as Google proposes a new AI-driven traffic deal. The offer comes after significant drops in search referrals. Participation means giving Google broad rights to use publisher content for AI model training.
Google is pitching a new deal to news publishers: regain some lost traffic in exchange for allowing the tech giant to use their content to train its large language models (LLMs). The program, first announced in December with partners like The Washington Post and The Guardian, promises increased visibility in Google News and the Gemini AI chatbot through AI-generated article overviews.
This offer arrives as many publishers report their traditional search traffic from Google has been cut in half. According to a person involved in the project, the catch is that publishers must grant Google extensive rights to use their content, including for AI training purposes. If publishers decline, they risk losing payments previously provided under the older Google News Showcase program, which Google has begun winding down for some partners.
The arrangement has sparked frustration among publishers, who see it as a cycle: first, Google reduces their traffic, then offers to restore it-but only if they agree to terms that could further erode their control over content and future traffic. The move highlights the growing tension between major tech platforms and news organizations as AI becomes central to content distribution and monetization strategies.
