Content Creators Apply Here, Google pays 100 publishers for AI-powered search content

Per The Information, Google has been paying approximately 100 digital publishers for their content contributions to AI-powered answers in search and other products, The Information reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The pilot program represents a shift in Google’s approach toward compensating publishers for content that appears in its search engine. The company has traditionally maintained that it should not pay publishers whose content answers user queries, arguing that the questions drive traffic to their websites, The Information reported.

The introduction of AI-powered summaries, known as AI Overviews, has significantly reduced the amount of traffic Google’s search sends to websites. This change has led to widespread complaints about Google, including lawsuits from some publishers.