Google Pays Tiny Dues for AI Help
Google has announced that it will finally pay publishers for its AI-generated answers. However, the amounts are surprisingly low - around 0.1% of their ad revenue.
The company began testing a program last year to compensate roughly a hundred sites based on what their content brings to its AI Overviews, AI Mode in search, and Gemini chatbot. But the payouts have been meager, with some small and mid-sized publishers admitting they make only $50,000 after several months of participation.
Niche topics like Japanese animation and video games reportedly pay more, but no one knows what Google considers a 'contribution to its answers.' As a result, big publishers have refused to join the program, hoping their absence will force Google to pull out a real checkbook.