3 weeks ago
French press urges watchdog action on Google AI news summaries
Google has a clever computer program, called artificial intelligence, that can write short summaries of news articles.
When people see these summaries, they may not click on the newspaper's website anymore.
French newspapers and magazines are worried because fewer people are visiting their websites.
One group of French newspapers says visits have dropped by about a third because of the AI summaries.
The group has asked an important French office, called the competition watchdog, to help.
This watchdog makes sure big companies play fair.
A few years ago, Google had to pay a very big fine of €500 million for using French news content without proper payment.
The newspapers say Google also broke its promise to talk to them first.
They want Google to pay them for using their articles to build its AI tools.
They believe their news stories have real value and should be paid for fairly.
The Alliance of General Information Press urged France's competition watchdog to intervene over Google's AI-generated news summaries.
The alliance says the AI summaries divert readers from publishers' websites and were launched without prior consultation.
Estimates from French regulator Arcom, cited by the alliance, put the traffic drop to publisher websites at 33% to 38%.
Google was fined €500 million ($576.8 million) about four years ago over a copyright dispute involving French press content.
Alliance president Marc Feuillee said publishers should receive a share of the value created from their content being used to develop AI tools.
- Who
- The Alliance of General Information Press, a French press association led by Marc Feuillee, and Google (Alphabet)
- What
- The press alliance asked France's competition watchdog to intervene over Google's AI-generated news summaries, which it says reduce traffic to publishers' websites and breach earlier commitments.
- Where
- France
- When
- The request follows Google's recent introduction of AI-generated article summaries, about four years after Google's €500 million fine over French press content.
- Why
- The alliance says AI summaries cut traffic to publisher websites by 33% to 38% and that publishers were not consulted or compensated for the AI use of their content.
Key facts
- Complainant
- Alliance of General Information Press (French press association)
- Target
- Google (Alphabet)
- Regulator sought
- France's competition watchdog
- Alleged traffic decline
- 33%–38% to publisher websites (per Arcom estimates)
- Prior fine
- €500 million ($576.8 million), issued about four years ago
- Alliance president
- Marc Feuillee
- Key demand
- Consultation with publishers and remuneration for AI use of press content
Quotes
Marc Feuillee
President of the Alliance of General Information Press
“The fact that AI is built upon media content means one single thing: this information has considerable value.”
firstpost.com
Sources
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