Google Pressures Publishers for AI Training Data Amid Traffic Declines

Google is reportedly pressuring news and entertainment publishers to grant broad access to their content for training artificial intelligence bots, threatening to exclude them from a new AI partnership program if they refuse. This move comes as publishers report significant declines in web traffic since Google launched its AI Overviews feature in early 2024.

In recent months, Google has been pitching publishers on a pilot program that could feature their content prominently in AI Overviews, a feature that summarizes search results. However, the tech giant is seeking the right to use this content to train its AI models, according to sources familiar with the project. Publishers who do not agree to these terms may lose access to payments from Google's current content licensing arrangement, known as Showcase, which is reportedly being phased out.

Jason Kint, CEO of Digital Content Next, a trade group representing major online publishers, described Google's approach as a tough negotiation tactic. "This is Google’s game. They’re gonna dominate here," Kint stated. He added that discussions with Google are not about fair deals but rather the amount the company is willing to offer individual organizations.

A Google spokesperson told The Post that the company is expanding partnerships through its News AI pilot program to explore how AI can drive more engaged audiences and help users navigate information overload. Google maintains that it continues to send billions of clicks to websites daily and has questioned the methodology of studies indicating a traffic drop.

Publishers have expressed concern over the impact of AI Overviews, which provide AI-generated answers at the top of search results. A Pew Research Center study found that users are half as likely to click on links from Google when an AI Overview is present, and are more likely to end their browsing session if they find an answer there. This reduction in clicks directly affects publishers reliant on advertising revenue tied to website traffic, as well as subscription and paywall income.

CNN reportedly saw a 30% drop in website traffic a year after AI Overviews launched, while Business Insider and HuffPost experienced about a 40% decline, according to NPR citing Similarweb data. These figures represent a substantial hit to news organizations that depend heavily on traffic-driven revenue streams.

The push for AI training data comes amid a wave of lawsuits from publishers accusing tech companies of scraping their content. The New York Times sued OpenAI and Microsoft in 2023 over the use of its content to train AI models. OpenAI has since entered into numerous content licensing agreements with news and entertainment outlets.

Kint highlighted Google's dominant position in the search engine market, noting that the company controls 90% of the market and was found to be a monopoly in a 2024 antitrust case. Google has appealed this ruling.

Google initially announced its AI pilot program in December, with initial partners including The Washington Post and The Guardian. Publishers have noted that Google has bundled the opt-out from AI training with the opt-out from search results, creating a difficult choice. "If you’re opting out of Search, then you’re opting out of the internet," Kint said.

Publishers currently in the Showcase program receive a flat annual fee for content highlighted across Google News. Those who do not join the new pilot program will continue to receive these payments as long as Showcase remains active, but these will cease if the program is discontinued. Those who do sign up for the new pilot program agree to broader content usage terms for the same annual fee, a development that has caused hesitation among some publishers.