As Google pushes deeper into AI, publishers see fresh challenges

In a world increasingly dominated by artificial intelligence (AI), Google is experimenting with a new form of search called Generative AI. This technology creates new content by drawing from past data, and has raised concerns among publishers regarding web traffic, content accreditation, and compensation. Google’s new search tool, called Search Generative Experience (SGE), uses AI to generate summaries in response to certain queries and displays them at the top of the search homepage. The tool also provides links to “dig deeper” into specific topics. Publishers worry about their content being used by Google’s AI without proper accreditation, and the potential decrease in traffic to their websites if users find the summaries satisfactory. While Google has provided an opt-out tool for publishers to block their content, it does not extend to the SGE summaries or links. Publishers are also concerned about how the AI algorithm selects content for the summaries and how they can ensure their articles are included. Google states that publishers do not need to make any changes to appear in search, but this reassurance does not address publishers’ concerns. The introduction of Generative AI poses yet another challenge for publishers in an evolving landscape where AI may dominate how users find and consume information.