Google’s AI opt-out leaves publishers with a choice they can’t safely use

Publishers have finally won the right to keep their articles out of Google’s AI search results. The harder question now is whether that right is usable when the system keeps them opted in by default, and Google withholds the AI-specific data they’d need to judge if pulling out is worth the risk. 

The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority has ordered Google to give publishers greater control and transparency over how their content is used in AI search, including an opt-out from AI Overviews, AI Mode, and AI summaries in Discover, clearer attribution, and improved reporting on how content appears in AI-generated results. Publishers will also be able to opt out of AI model training. 

The ruling, handed down last week, is the first time a major regulator has forced Google to give publishers a formal say over how their work is fed into AI features in search.

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Author: Jessica Davies

Search & Affiliate Marketing Strategist since 1993