Google in talks with publishers for AI licensing pilot: Bloomberg report

New Delhi: Google is reportedly reaching out to news organisations for a new licensing project linked to artificial intelligence, Bloomberg has reported, in what appears to be an attempt to repair increasingly strained relations between the tech giant and the media industry.

The pilot, as per the report, is expected to involve around 20 national news outlets. While the scope and structure of the proposed licensing agreements remain unclear, the project is said to focus on specific AI-driven products.

The reported move comes at a time when tech companies are under mounting pressure to compensate publishers for the use of their content in AI models. Unlike rivals such as OpenAI and Perplexity AI, both of which have begun paying news publishers to train chatbots and develop AI features, Google has so far taken a more reserved stance. Its most notable deals include a partnership with the Associated Press and a separate agreement with Reddit.

Google's AI Overviews, which serve summarised answers at the top of many search results, have drawn criticism from publishers who argue that these features reduce traffic to their websites. At the same time, many media outlets have hesitated to block Google's AI crawlers, fearing the potential impact on their visibility in search results.

The Bloomberg report also notes that some in the industry view this step as part of a broader shift, as platforms begin to recognise the need for formal licensing arrangements in the face of legal and technological changes. The push for “pay per crawl” models, such as the one recently introduced by Cloudflare, reflects growing calls for fair compensation when AI systems access or use publisher content.

Google has previously sought to address publisher concerns through initiatives like Google News Showcase. However, its broader approach has largely relied on arguments around fair use, particularly when it comes to the display of headlines or article snippets.