“The biggest challenge with AI today is not what it creates, but what it takes — attention, credit, and value.” – Gary Marcus, cognitive scientist and AI critic
The battle for visibility
As generative AI models increasingly scrape and summarize online news, traditional publishers are losing traffic and attribution. Platforms like Google’s AI Overview now display condensed versions of news stories, giving readers information without requiring them to visit the original site.
Shifting models in publishing
To counter the decline, media houses such as The Quint have moved away from high-volume click-driven content toward deeper opinion and analysis. Others, like Malayala Manorama and Dainik Bhaskar, are experimenting with reader subscriptions and alternative monetization routes to regain control over audience engagement.
The compensation question
Out of India’s ₹70,000-crore digital advertising market, tech giants like Google, Meta, and Amazon capture nearly three-fourths of the revenue. Publishers argue that AI platforms generating summaries from their work should pay for using that content, similar to the deals some Western media have struck with OpenAI and NewsCorp.
Lawsuits and negotiations
The Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) and global peers are pursuing compensation through talks or legal action. As AI companies build products from aggregated data, the debate over fair use, ownership, and creative value is intensifying.
A new media landscape
For publishers, the path ahead is clear: diversify revenue, build direct reader relationships, and ensure their journalism is valued, not cannibalized, by algorithms.
Summary
AI-powered summarization tools are reshaping journalism’s economics, forcing publishers to rethink distribution, monetization, and legal rights. The struggle for fair compensation has become central to the evolving alliance and tension between media and technology.Food for thought
If AI can summarize everything we write, who will fund the act of writing itself?AI concept to learn: Content attribution
Content attribution ensures creators receive due credit and compensation when their material is used by others, vital for fairness, transparency, and sustainability in AI-driven media ecosystems.
[The Research Team at Billion Hopes brings to you latest AI news and developments in a useful format. Feedback welcome!]
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