Google's News AI Pilot Reaches 400 Publishers, Including CNN and Local US Outlets
Google has expanded its News AI pilot to over 400 publications worldwide, including major outlets like CNN and The Financial Times, as well as U.S. local newsrooms such as The Texas Tribune and Oil City News. The program, launched in December 2025, pays publishers for content used in experimental AI features like audio briefings and story previews. While Google emphasizes a non-pay-per-value model, some publishers like Reach are using similar deals as a template to pressure other AI firms over unauthorized scraping.