Google reportedly tests paying publishers for AI search results

Around 100 publishers have joined Google’s pilot program, The Information reports.

Google has launched a pilot program that pays publishers for their contributions to its AI-powered search features, according to a report from The Information . The pilot program reportedly includes around 100 publishers and comes as Google faces scrutiny over the impact of its AI features on web traffic.

Digiday first reported on the pilot program , which began less than a year ago. As part of the test, Google is reportedly paying participating publishers for how much their content contributed to AI Overviews and AI Mode in Search, as well as its Gemini chatbot. One publisher that joined the program when it first started earned over $1 million in a year, while another that joined a few months ago has earned around $50,000 to $60,000, The Information reports.

Google’s AI-focused search changes have not only drawn criticism and lawsuits from publishers , but also from regulators around the globe . In June, the UK ruled that Google must allow publishers to opt out of appearing in AI search features, while the European Union opened an investigation into its impact on web traffic and recently ordered it to make changes to its search engine.