Meta just partnered with News Corp, Le Figaro, Prisa, and Süddeutsche Zeitung to deliver real-time international news and lifestyle stories directly inside Meta AI. When users ask news-related questions, the assistant will now cite these sources and link back to their websites. Why it matters: Meta gets more reliable, timely information while publishers get a direct pipeline for traffic.
Microsoft just partnered with publishing giant HarperCollins to use select nonfiction books for training a new AI model. The agreement lets authors opt in for a reported $2,500 fee per title over a three-year period, though some writers are already pushing back against the offer.
OpenAI just struck a landmark multi-year agreement with News Corp to bring premium journalism into its products. The deal grants OpenAI permission to display current and archived reporting from publications like The Wall Street Journal and The Times in user queries, aiming to ground AI responses in reputable news sources.
Google is reportedly shelling out $5 million to $6 million a year to News Corp to develop AI-related content and products. While tech giants scramble to secure media partnerships to feed their models, News Corp quickly pushed back, stating it has absolutely no AI licensing deal in place with Google.
News Corp Australia is using generative AI to produce 3,000 local news stories every week with just a four-person team. The automated copy covers routine service info like fuel prices and weather across 75 hyper-local outlets, driving 55% of the company's new subscriptions. While journalists oversee the output, readers get zero disclosure that AI helped write it.
Major publishers including IAC and The New York Times are forming a coalition to demand billions in copyright royalties from AI platforms using their content for model training. While tech giants hope to settle with eight-figure payouts, publishers are preparing lawsuits and pushing for legislative action. Why it matters: This escalating copyright dispute could drastically increase the cost of scraping web data for generative AI.
Google just pitched an internal AI tool codenamed Genesis to major publishers, including The New York Times and News Corp. The software takes in data to generate news copy, designed to help journalists brainstorm headlines and adjust writing styles. Why it matters: Media executives are already uneasy, worried that automated news writing disregards the rigorous effort required for fact-checking.
