Google pays publishers pennies for AI content

google is paying around 100 digital publishers for content used in ai overviews, ai mode, and the gemini chatbot as part of a pilot program launched less than a year ago. payments vary widely, with small sites receiving less than $1000 over several months, while one publisher earns over $1 million a year. however, some publishers are dissatisfied with the payment structure, citing lack of transparency and significant month-to-month fluctuations. larger publishers are refusing to join the program, seeking higher payments as their traffic falls due to ai overviews reducing visits to the open web. this situation has led to legal challenges, including a complaint with the european commission and a lawsuit by penske media.