Google has been quietly scaling a pay-per-value AI licensing scheme for publishers. But critics say the program looks less like a meaningful payout and more like a legal fig leaf.
The tech giant, which has steered clear of the large lump-sum licensing deals struck between other AI rivals like OpenAI and major news publishers, has been quietly testing a Search Console-based program that pays publishers when their content “significantly” contributes to AI-generated responses across Gemini, AI Overviews and AI mode, according to multiple industry sources close to the situation.
Once a publisher joins the “AI contribution pilot,” they receive an extra AI earnings widget via their Search Console dashboard. This displays a monthly earnings number (with some history), though no other detailed information on how payouts are calculated currently. Payments are based more on value than raw usage, meaning Google only pays when it judges that a piece of content has meaningfully contributed to an AI-generated response. Publishers can opt out at any time.
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