What is Google's News AI pilot program?
Google's News AI pilot is a paid commercial partnership program that tests AI features inside Google News. Google launched it in December 2024 with a small group of major publishers. The program explores how generative AI can send more engaged audiences back to original news outlets.
According to MediaPost's reporting on the expansion, Google confirmed the program in a statement: "As people's news preferences change, we've been expanding our partnerships through our News AI pilot program, working with a wide range of publishers to explore how AI can drive more engaged audiences."
Who are the initial publisher partners?
Media Copilot reported in December 2025 that Google launched the pilot with five major outlets:
- The Washington Post
- The Guardian
- Der Spiegel
- El País
- The Times of India
Google also announced real-time information partnerships with The Associated Press, Estadão, Antara, and Yonhap for use in the Gemini app.
What AI features are being tested?
The pilot tests two main features inside Google News:
- AI-powered article overviews — AI-generated summaries displayed on publishers' Google News pages
- AI-generated audio briefings — for users who prefer to listen to news rather than read it
Google said these features "will include clear attribution and link to articles." The company is also increasing the number of inline links in AI Mode and adding contextual introductions that explain why users should visit specific sources.
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The Gemini app will also highlight and prioritize links from news publications that users subscribe to. AI Overviews and AI Mode are set to gain the same capability.
Why is Google expanding the program now?
Google is now pitching broader permissions to more publishers. Those expanded rights would give Google the ability to use publisher content to train its AI models. Broader agreements would also help Google limit future legal liability.
The expansion follows a report by The Information. Google responded directly to MediaPost, confirming it is testing new features to "help people cut through information overload, easily decide where to click out, and connect with news in different formats."
Here's what we know so far: Google did not originally state it wanted publishers to license content for AI model training. However, The Information noted that a Google blog post links to another Google post that addresses the company's position on "commercial partnerships" and "publicly available" data.
What happens to publishers who refuse to join?
Publishers who decline to participate face a concrete consequence. The Information reported, citing a person with knowledge of the situation, that publishers who don't agree to participate "will eventually lose payments Google had been making under an older news program, Showcase, which it has told some publishers it plans to end."
Google Showcase is an existing program under which Google pays publishers for content. It predates the new AI pilot.
How does this connect to falling publisher traffic?
Referral traffic from search engines has been declining for publishers. Jesse Angelo, founder and CEO of investment and production firm Checker Media, told The Information that referral traffic from Google is now so low it has pushed publishers to pivot "their businesses towards one-to-one relationships, whether that be through subscriptions or registrations or however it may be."
This broader shift in how AI search products handle links is a topic builders and founders tracking the AI chip rotation and platform dynamics should watch closely. It also connects to the competitive pressure facing OpenAI's trusted partner content strategy as AI search products compete for publisher relationships.
What does Google get from broader licensing agreements?
According to MediaPost, locking publishers into all-encompassing agreements gives Google several advantages:
| Advantage | Description |
|---|---|
| AI model training rights | Ability to use publisher content to train Google's AI models |
| Legal protection | Reduces future liability exposure from content use |
| Competitive advantage | Secures operational advantages across the internet |
| Content supply | Ensures a steady flow of licensed news content for AI features |
What is Google changing about links in AI search?
Beyond the publisher pilot, Google is also overhauling how links appear in AI Mode. The company said it is increasing the number of inline links and adding contextual introductions explaining why users should visit specific sources.
The Gemini app will soon prioritize links from publications users already subscribe to. AI Overviews and AI Mode will gain the same subscription-aware link feature next year, according to Media Copilot's December 2025 report.
Google also noted it has partnered with over 3,000 publications in more than 50 countries through commercial deals in recent years.
The most confirmed next step: Google has told some publishers it plans to end the Showcase program, making participation in the new AI pilot the path forward for those seeking continued payments.
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