Google's early attempt to pay websites for AI answers is struggling
Summary
Google is testing a new program that pays some websites when their content is used in AI-generated search answers. However, many publishers say the payments are very small, leading larger sites to refuse participation, hoping for better deals.Key Facts
- Google has invited about 100 publishers to join its AI contribution pilot program.
- Publishers get paid when their content helps create AI-powered search results, like AI summaries.
- Payments are often tiny, about 0.1% of the websites' ad revenue for some small and mid-sized sites.
- One early participant could earn over $1 million a year, while others make much less, sometimes under $1,000 over several months.
- Publishers find it hard to track and predict how their contributions are valued or paid.
- Some publishers have refused to join to push Google for higher payments.
- Google faces legal challenges from publishers who claim their content was used without permission to train AI models or that Google unfairly links AI use to search rankings.
- Regulators like the UK government are asking Google to allow publishers to opt out of AI search without hurting their regular search results.
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