• Google is reportedly forming agreements with select publishers to utilise AI tools for generating news content as part of its Google News Initiative (GNI), which offers support to news organisations.
  • The initiative aims to aid smaller publishers in creating aggregated content by summarising recent reports from various sources, potentially stirring controversy due to AI-generated content.
  • Publishers involved are allegedly compensated annually, with expectations to produce a certain volume of articles, newsletters, and marketing content, but the full extent of Google’s intentions and the impact on journalism remain unclear.

According to Adweek, Google is quietly striking deals with some publishers to use new generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools to create news content, reportedly part of Google’s Google News Initiative (GNI), which offers media literacy programs, fact-checking tools, and other resources to news organisations over a six-year period. However, this move involving generative AI content creation may stir controversy.

Google targets a few small publishers

The program is currently targeting “a few” small publishers, testing tools that enable resource-constrained publishers to more effectively create aggregated content by indexing recent reports from other institutions (such as government agencies and neighbouring news media), summarising them, and publishing them as new articles.

It is currently unclear how much compensation publishers will receive through this collaboration, but Adweek refers to it as a “five-figure” amount annually. In exchange, media organisations reportedly agree to use these tools to publish at least three articles daily, a weekly newsletter, and a monthly marketing campaign.

Also read: Google’s Gemini expected to land on Android phones next year

Publishers are not required to disclose their use of AI

Importantly, participating publishers in this program do not seem to be required to disclose their use of AI, and the websites whose content is aggregated are not informed that their content is being used to create AI-written news stories on other websites. Reportedly, AI-generated text will use a colour-coding system to indicate the credibility of each part of the text, aiding human editors in reviewing content before publication.

In a statement to Adweek, Google stated that they are in an “exploratory phase aimed at offering AI tools that may help journalists work.” The spokesperson added that these AI tools are “not intended to replace, nor can they replace, the vital role of journalists in reporting, writing, and verifying articles.”

It is currently unclear what Google hopes to gain through this collaboration, but it is not the first tech company to pay fees to news organisations to use its proprietary tools. This agreement bears some resemblance to the deal Facebook struck with publishers in 2016 to create live video content, where the social media giant paid millions of dollars to publishers to energise its nascent video platform.