The Nightmare of Google’s AI Search Tool for News Publishers

Introduction

Hello, I am Fred Wilson, a former journalist and a current media consultant. I have been working in the media industry for over 20 years, covering various topics such as politics, business, culture, and technology. I have witnessed the evolution of journalism and the challenges it faces in the digital age.

In this article, I want to share with you my insights and concerns about Google’s new AI search tool, SGE, which stands for Search Generated Excerpts. This tool uses generative AI to create summaries for some search queries, based on many web pages. Sounds impressive, right? Well, not so much if you are a news publisher or a reader who cares about the future of journalism.

SGE is a nightmare for news publishers, as it poses serious threats to their survival and credibility. In this article, I will explain what SGE is, how it works, and why it is controversial. I will also discuss some possible solutions or strategies that news publishers can adopt to cope with or resist SGE. I hope this article will raise your awareness and spark your interest in this important issue.

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The Problem with SGE

SGE is a new feature that Google launched in late 2023, as part of its efforts to improve its search engine and provide better answers to users’ queries. SGE uses generative AI to create summaries for some search queries, based on many web pages. For example, if you search for “Who is the president of France?”, SGE may generate a summary like this:

Emmanuel Macron is the president of France since 2017. He is the leader of the centrist party La République En Marche! and the youngest president in French history. He is known for his pro-European and reformist agenda, as well as his controversial handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the yellow vests protests.

This summary is not taken from any single web page, but synthesized by Google’s AI from multiple sources. Google claims that SGE is designed to provide quick and accurate answers to factual questions, without requiring users to click on any links or visit any websites.

However, news publishers are not happy with SGE, as they see it as a threat to their existence and reputation. Here are some of the main concerns of news publishers regarding SGE:

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• Losing traffic and revenue from Google’s search engine, which relies on ads and subscriptions. News publishers depend on Google’s search engine to drive traffic to their websites, where they can generate revenue from ads and subscriptions. However, SGE reduces the need for users to click on any links or visit any websites, as they can get the answers they want from Google’s summaries. This means that news publishers lose potential visitors and customers, as well as the opportunity to showcase their brand and content.
• Being unable to control or monetize their content, which may be used by Google or other AI companies without their consent or compensation. News publishers invest a lot of time, money, and resources to produce quality content that is original, accurate, and relevant. However, SGE may use their content to train its AI models or generate its summaries, without their permission or payment. This means that news publishers lose their intellectual property rights and the value of their content, as they are essentially giving it away for free to Google or other AI companies that may use it for their own purposes.
• Facing competition from other sources of information that may be more accurate, reliable, or diverse than their own. News publishers strive to provide trustworthy and authoritative information to their audiences, based on their expertise, experience, and ethics. However, SGE may create summaries that are more accurate, reliable, or diverse than their own, based on a larger and more diverse pool of sources. This means that news publishers lose their competitive edge and their credibility, as they may be outperformed or contradicted by Google’s summaries.
• Losing credibility and trust from their audiences, who may be exposed to misleading or biased summaries that do not reflect their original content. News publishers aim to inform and educate their audiences, based on their editorial standards and values. However, SGE may create summaries that are misleading or biased, based on the algorithm’s preferences, limitations, or errors. This means that news publishers lose their integrity and their trust, as they may be misrepresented or misquoted by Google’s summaries.

Image by jay88ld0 from Pixabay

The Solution for News Publishers

SGE is a nightmare for news publishers, but it is not the end of the world. There are some possible solutions or strategies that news publishers can adopt to cope with or resist SGE, such as:

• Using tools like Google-Extended, which gives publishers the choice to block their content from being used by Google to train its AI models. Google-Extended is a tool developed by a group of researchers and activists, who are concerned about the ethical and social implications of Google’s AI. Google-Extended allows publishers to opt out of Google’s data collection and usage, by adding a simple code to their websites. This way, publishers can protect their content and their rights, and prevent Google from using their content to improve its AI or generate its summaries.
• Collaborating with other media outlets or organizations that share similar values and goals, such as independent journalism, fact-checking, or public service broadcasting. Independent journalism is a form of journalism that is free from political, corporate, or other influences, and that focuses on serving the public interest and holding the powerful accountable. Fact-checking is a process of verifying the accuracy and reliability of information, especially in the context of politics, news, or social media. Public service broadcasting is a system of broadcasting that is funded by the public and that aims to provide diverse, high-quality, and educational content to the public. By collaborating with other media outlets or organizations that share these values and goals, news publishers can create a network of support and solidarity, and a platform of influence and advocacy, to challenge Google’s dominance and promote their own vision and mission.
• Diversifying their revenue streams by creating alternative platforms or products that offer value-added services or subscriptions to their audiences. News publishers can explore new ways of generating revenue, by creating alternative platforms or products that offer value-added services or subscriptions to their audiences. For example, news publishers can create newsletters, podcasts, videos, or apps that provide exclusive, personalized, or interactive content to their subscribers. News publishers can also create events, courses, or memberships that provide educational, professional, or social benefits to their participants. By diversifying their revenue streams, news publishers can reduce their dependence on Google’s search engine, and increase their loyalty and engagement with their audiences.
• Investing in quality journalism that provides in-depth analysis, context, and verification of information. News publishers can invest in quality journalism that provides in-depth analysis, context, and verification of information, rather than superficial or sensationalized information. Quality journalism is journalism that is based on rigorous research, evidence, and sources, and that provides comprehensive, balanced, and nuanced perspectives on complex and important issues. Quality journalism is journalism that is not only informative, but also insightful, enlightening, and empowering. By investing in quality journalism, news publishers can differentiate themselves from Google’s summaries, and provide value and meaning to their audiences.

Conclusion

SGE is a nightmare for news publishers, as it threatens their survival and credibility. SGE uses generative AI to create summaries for some search queries, based on many web pages. SGE poses serious threats to news publishers, such as losing traffic and revenue, being unable to control or monetize their content, facing competition from other sources of information, and losing credibility and trust from their audiences.

However, news publishers can cope with or resist SGE, by using tools like Google-Extended, collaborating with other media outlets or organizations, diversifying their revenue streams, and investing in quality journalism. These solutions or strategies can help news publishers protect their content and their rights, create a network of support and solidarity, reduce their dependence on Google’s search engine, increase their loyalty and engagement with their audiences, and provide value and meaning to their audiences.

SGE is a nightmare for news publishers, but it is also a wake-up call for us, the readers, who care about the future of journalism. We need to support news publishers in their struggle against SGE and other forms of generative AI that threaten their livelihoods and democracy. We need to demand fair treatment and respect for news publishers from Google and other tech giants. We need to appreciate and value the work of news publishers, who provide us with quality information and education. We need to be critical and responsible consumers of information, who seek the truth and verify the sources. We need to be active and engaged citizens, who use the information to make informed decisions and actions.

The future of journalism is in our hands. Let’s make it a bright one.

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