Rolling Stone owner Penske Media sues Google over AI summaries
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Penske Media Sues Google Over AI Overviews, Traffic Loss
Above: A copy of Rolling Stone magazine is displayed Sept. 18, 2017. Image copyright: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
Publishers are facing an existential crisis as Google exploits its search monopoly to steal content without fair compensation. The tech giant forces media companies into an impossible choice — allow Google to use their journalism in AI summaries that eliminate the need for users to visit their sites or disappear from search results entirely. This theft of publishers' work threatens the entire foundation of independent journalism.
Narrative B
Google's AI Overviews are a natural evolution of search technology that benefits everyone involved. The feature makes search more helpful by providing users with comprehensive answers while actually sending traffic to a more diverse range of websites than traditional search results. Publishers receive higher-quality clicks from users who spend more time engaging with their content after clicking through from AI Overviews.