Google Offers Up to One Million Dollars to Publishers for AI

The United Kingdom has imposed an opt-out right for publishers, and the European Union has launched an investigation and subsequently demanded changes to Google's search engine. In this context, Google is conducting a payment test involving around 100 publishers for their contributions to AI-generated responses. Participants report earnings ranging from over $1 million to about $50,000–$60,000, depending on when they joined the program.

UK and EU Regulate Google's AI Features

In June, the British authority decided that Google must provide publishers with the option to refuse the display of their content in AI-powered search features. The European Union, for its part, opened an investigation into the impact of these tools on web traffic and recently ordered modifications to Google's search engine. These measures come as criticisms and lawsuits have emerged in several countries against the changes introduced by AI in search.

Reported Earnings of Over $1M for One Participant

A publisher who joined the test at its launch indicates they earned over $1 million over the course of a year. Another publisher, who joined a few months later, mentions earnings of about $50,000 to $60,000. The program includes around 100 publishers, providing an initial idea of the scale of the pilot and the variability of the amounts.

Ongoing Test: Criteria Related to AI Previews, AI Mode, and Gemini

The pilot compensates publishers based on the contribution of their content to AI Previews, the AI Mode in search, and the Gemini chatbot. Google launched this program less than a year ago. It comes at a time when the company is facing criticism for the impact of its AI features on site traffic. Digiday was the first media outlet to reveal its existence.