Google News Launches AI Overviews Pilot with Major Publishers

Google is testing AI-generated summaries for news articles. The company announced the new pilot program on Wednesday. It involves several major global news organizations.

The initiative is a commercial partnership. Publishers will receive payments from Google. The goal is to explore how AI can create more engaged audiences, according to the company.

How the AI News Summaries Will Work

The AI-powered overviews will appear on specific Google News pages. They will only show for participating publishers. Users will see more context before clicking a full article.

Participating outlets include The Guardian, The Washington Post, and El País. Others are Der Spiegel, Folha, and The Times of India. This list was confirmed in Google’s official announcement.

The feature could potentially reduce direct traffic to news websites. However, the direct payments from Google may offset this loss. The summaries will include clear attribution and links to the original content.

Broader News Ecosystem Changes and Concerns

This is not Google’s first move into AI news summaries. In July, it added similar AI overviews to its Discover feed. That change aggregated content from multiple sources into one summary.

As part of the same announcement, Google is expanding its “Preferred Sources” feature globally. This lets users select their favorite news sites for Top Stories. It first launched in the U.S. and India this past August.

Analysts note these features risk creating “filter bubbles” for readers. People may only see news from sources they already prefer. This could limit exposure to diverse perspectives.

Google’s AI overviews pilot represents a significant shift in how news is distributed online. The partnership with publishers aims to balance innovation with sustainability. The success of this model could redefine the digital news landscape for years to come.

Thought you’d like to know

Q1: Which publishers are part of the Google AI pilot?

Major participants include The Washington Post, The Guardian, and El País. Other partners are Der Spiegel, Infobae, and The Times of India. Google released the full list in its official blog post.

Q2: Will AI summaries replace reading the full article?

Google states the overviews provide context before a click. They are designed to complement, not replace, the full story. Each summary includes a direct link to the publisher’s website.

Q3: Where will users see these AI overviews?

The summaries will only appear on the Google News pages of participating publishers. They will not show in general Search results or on other news feeds. This limits the initial test scope.

Q4: Why are publishers agreeing to this?

Publishers are receiving direct payments from Google as part of the commercial pilot. This provides a revenue stream that may offset any potential loss in website traffic. It is a structured experiment.

Q5: What is the “Preferred Sources” feature?

It allows users to pick favorite news sites for their Top Stories section. Google is now rolling this feature out globally for English users. It will expand to all languages early next year.

Q6: Are audio news briefings also coming?

Yes, Google confirmed audio briefings are part of the same pilot program. This caters to users who prefer listening over reading. These will also feature clear source attribution.