BRUSSELS, Belgium — Google is facing an antitrust lawsuit from the Independent Publishers Alliance, a nonprofit representing various publishers, regarding the company’s AI Summaries feature. Launched in Google Search last year, this tool is accused of misappropriating content from the web to generate AI-driven overviews, undermining the interests of publishers.
The complaint submitted to the European Commission claims that the introduction of AI Summaries has resulted in significant damage to publishers, particularly within the news sector, leading to a decline in traffic, readership, and revenue. Rosa Curling, a director at Foxglove, a UK-based legal nonprofit that aided in filing the complaint, characterized the AI feature as an “existential threat” to independent news organizations. The complaint has also been circulated among key regulators outside the European Union, with acknowledgment from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority.
In response to the allegations, Google has defended itself, arguing that claims are based on incomplete data. The company stated that fluctuations in website traffic can occur due to various factors such as seasonal trends, user interests, and regular updates to its search algorithms.
Legal actions by publishers against major tech companies are not unprecedented. Notably, two years ago, The New York Times initiated a lawsuit against OpenAI, claiming the AI developer improperly used its content to train models. This has since prompted other prominent media organizations, including The Wall Street Journal and the New York Post, to pursue similar legal avenues against technology firms deploying AI solutions.
Critics of Google’s AI Summaries raise concerns beyond economic implications, citing instances of erroneous search results produced by the feature. Examples include inaccurate claims about sports and historical figures, such as suggesting that dogs participate in the NBA and that 19th-century U.S. President Andrew Jackson graduated in 2005.
The European Union has previously been aggressive in regulating Google, having imposed fines exceeding 8 billion euros (approximately $8.6 billion). This includes a record penalty of 4.34 billion euros (around $4.7 billion) in 2018, highlighting the EU’s intention to hold tech giants accountable.
This situation underscores the growing tension between traditional publishing entities and influential tech companies, as more publishers voice concerns over AI’s impact on their businesses.
The repercussions of this lawsuit could reshape the future landscape of AI technologies in search engines, prompting broader discussions about publisher rights and content ownership.
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