US media sues Google, alleging AI Overviews is "stealing" website traffic.

This is the first time that media companies in the US have sued Google over its new 'AI Overviews' feature on the search engine, alleging it has seriously impacted traffic.

Penske Media is suing Google for allegedly using AI to "steal" content and causing losses in website traffic.

The 'war' between Google and the media.

The lawsuit initiated by news conglomerate Penske Media has sparked a landmark legal battle, exposing simmering tensions between tech giants and the media industry.

This is not just an isolated case, but a crucial test of intellectual property rights, the value of content, and the business model of journalism in the age of artificial intelligence.

Penske Media claims that the summaries generated by AI Overview have reduced traffic to their websites, severely impacting advertising revenue and user numbers.

The company, with 120 million online visits per month, says that about 20% of Google searches leading to their pages now display "AI Overviews". Penske Media predicts this percentage will continue to rise, and estimates that affiliate revenue has fallen by more than a third from its peak at the end of 2024.

This is an alarming figure, highlighting the direct and clear negative impact of new technology on traditional business models.

Penske Media: "Google is dominating the market"

According to a federal court ruling last year, Google could control nearly 90% of the search market in the US. This gives them almost absolute power.

Penske Media argues that Google is using this power to force publishers to accept that their content is used for AI summaries. Failure to comply results in their websites being "pushed down" in search results, leading to a more significant drop in traffic.

According to Jay Penske, head of Penske Media: "We have a responsibility to proactively fight for the future of digital media and protect its integrity, all of which is being threatened by Google's current actions."

This lawsuit is not simply about seeking economic damages, but also a strong statement about intellectual property rights and the survival of journalism in the context of rapidly changing technology.

Google's response

For its part, Google denies these allegations, arguing that "AI Overviews" provide a better user experience and actually help distribute traffic to more websites.

Google claims that AI makes search engines more useful, encourages users to use them more, and thus creates new opportunities for content to be discovered .

However, this argument failed to convince the publishers, who had already suffered actual revenue losses.

Reuters, in its article, indicated that media outlets' grievances extend beyond this lawsuit. Danielle Coffey, CEO of the News/Media Alliance (a trade association representing over 2,200 publishers in the U.S.), argued that Google's excessive market power has necessitated compliance with the same rules that other AI companies adhere to.

While companies like OpenAI (developer of ChatGPT) have been actively signing licensing agreements with major publishers such as News Corp, Financial Times, and The Atlantic to use their content, Google has been slow to do so.

According to Coffey's analysis, the core issue is not AI but Google's monopolistic market power. When a company becomes so large and powerful that it can "disregard healthy norms," ​​that's when the problem arises.

The Penske Media lawsuit shows that publishers are gradually losing patience and are willing to use legal tools to protect their rights.

This legal event could set a significant legal precedent for the future relationship between technology companies and content providers. It will force US courts to seriously consider the value of journalism, intellectual property rights, and the need for a level playing field in the age of AI.

Will AI companies ultimately have to pay for the content they use to train and run their systems? This is the big question those pursuing the lawsuit want to answer.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bao-my-kien-google-to-ai-overviews-hut-luot-truy-cap-20250915192719678.htm