Google has signed a first-of-a-kind deal with a news publisher by joining forces with the Associated Press to deliver real-time news updates to its Gemini AI Chatbot, highlighting Google’s deepening collaboration with news organizations.
However, it also raises questions about AI’s influence on journalism, the use of intellectual property, and whether Google will credit publishers or link to the original articles.
Google announces the partnership
Google and AP’s partnership is unsurprising. The tech giant needs reliable news stories to ensure its Gemini AI Chatbot can provide accurate and credible real-time reports.
Google’s VP of Global News Partnerships, Jaffer Zaidi, confirmed this when he announced the collaboration on Wednesday, saying:
- “AP will now deliver a feed of real-time information to help further enhance the usefulness of results displayed in the Gemini app.”
AP’s long-standing relationship with Google
AP’s Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer Kristin Heitmann emphasized the importance of the partnership with Google, which is “based on working together to provide timely, accurate news and information to global audiences.”
Heitmann also said in her statement:
- “We are pleased Google recognizes the value of AP’s journalism as well as our commitment to nonpartisan reporting in the development of its generative AI products.”
Disadvantages and revenue increases
Integrating AI-generated summaries is disadvantaging publishers, as recently proven by falling CTR, as AI provides detailed answers on search engines above organic listings.
However, deals like this between Google and the AP could benefit news outlets by increasing their revenue and improving the quality of online news and information users receive.
Alex Mahadevan, director of The Poynter Institute’s Mediawise, wrote about this, saying:
- “You either sign a deal with an AI company and work with them and kind of take what they offer for all of your hard work, all of your articles, all of your data, or you fight, the way that The New York Times and others are trying to do in court.”
Google has yet to confirm article credit and links
Neither Google nor AP disclosed the value of the partnership. Google has declined to say whether it will credit the Gemini AI news summaries to the original publishers or link them to the original articles. If they don’t, this could further increase falling CTRs, harming publishers and news agencies trying to rank high on Search.
