Google announced Tuesday it is launching a paid pilot program with major news publishers to test AI features in Google News, while also overhauling how links appear in its AI-powered search products.
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Key Takeaways
- Google launched a paid pilot with WaPo, Guardian, Der Spiegel, El País, Times of India.
- Tests AI article overviews and audio briefings with attribution and links.
- Google’s response to mounting publisher and regulatory pressure on summaries.
The company will work with outlets including The Washington Post, The Guardian, Der Spiegel, El País, and The Times of India to test “AI-powered article overviews” on their Google News pages, according to a blog post by Robby Stein, VP of Product for Google Search, and Jaffer Zaidi, VP of Global News Partnerships.
Google will also experiment with AI-generated audio briefings for users who prefer listening to news.
“These features will include clear attribution and link to articles,” the company said.
The pilot is part of what Google calls a “new commercial partnership program” to “explore how AI can help drive more engaged audiences.” The company noted it has partnered with over 3,000 publications in more than 50 countries through commercial deals in recent years.
Google is also changing how links appear in AI Mode, its AI-powered search feature. The company said it is “increasing the number of inline links” and adding “contextual introductions” that explain why users should visit specific sources.
The Gemini app will soon highlight and prioritize links from news publications users subscribe to, with AI Overviews and AI Mode gaining the same capability next year.
Google also announced it is partnering with The Associated Press, Estadão, Antara, and Yonhap “to include real-time information to enhance results in the Gemini app.”
What this means for newsrooms: Google is clearly responding to publisher concerns about AI search cannibalizing traffic. The paid pilot program signals the company sees value in publisher relationships, though the program is limited to major outlets. Smaller publishers should watch closely to see if these AI features eventually expand, and whether the promised “clear attribution and links” actually drive meaningful referral traffic.
