American and Canadian media outlets are calling on Google to stop expanding its AI search service.

Focusing on Google's new AI Overviews feature, the letter notes that Google is appropriating assets and investments from news organizations and other digital media outlets, while "starving" publishers of traffic by encouraging users to stay on its platform instead of clicking through to view the original source directly.

The News Media Alliance (NMA) is a trade association representing approximately 2,000 newspapers and other news organizations in the United States and Canada.

Google Search's AI Overviews feature will answer questions instantly, even breaking news, preventing readers from visiting original news sources. (Screenshot from Google)

Google's Search Innovation Experience (SGE) service, first introduced on May 10, 2023, and rolled out nationwide in the US on May 14, 2024, uses content from news organizations to generate comprehensive "AI Overviews" to users' questions.

This means that Google is "repackaging" original news sources, including journalistic content, and using it to answer users' questions, which could be considered copyright infringement. This also discourages readers from accessing the original sources and causes news publishers to lose revenue.

The letter from the News & Media Alliance to the FTC and DOJ stated: “Google has become known as the world’s dominant search engine, and the U.S. Department of Justice has demonstrated in court how Google has illegally monopolized that market.”

"Now, Google is abusing its power in search to use publisher content – ​​without payment or permission – to support Google's AI Overview and other GenAI products in order to eliminate competition."

Danielle Coffey, President and CEO of NMA, said: “Google claims this new product will help increase traffic, but one of many studies estimates that 90% of users would never leave Google’s search results page if they already had the answer.”

"Cutting the bridge between publishers and readers, and preventing publishers from monetizing their content, will inevitably lead to a further decline of the vital news and journalism ecosystem that Americans want and need."

Furthermore, by eliminating the need for user access, Google's "AI Overview" significantly reduces publishers' ability to monetize their content through advertising, subscriptions, and affiliate links; instead, that money flows into Google's coffers.

The letter also highlighted Google's recently enacted policy called "Website Reputation Abuse." This policy aggressively removes publisher discount services as well as sports betting, lottery, and gaming content from Google Search results, harming not only publishers but also millions of readers and businesses that rely on them.

Hoang Hai (according to NMA)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/bao-chi-my-va-canada-keu-goi-google-ngung-mo-rong-dich-vu-tim-kiem-ai-post297347.html