Taking On Big Tech: Publishers Raising Red Flags On AI Theft Concerns

With genAI spending expected to increase 76.4% this year to a total of more than $640 billion worldwide, there really is no way to undersell the impact that the technology is already having across every industry. 

Publishing, of course, is no exception, with focus toggling between the AI tools that publishers are already using in many departments to the emerging, even existential concerns about AI’s effect on attribution, search, and the industry in general.

And it’s from that side of the table that news publishers from The New York Times to The Washington Post launched a coordinated ad campaign this week, calling on lawmakers to “make Big Tech pay for the content it takes to run its AI products.”

Publishing AI Message

“America’s creative industries are part of what make this country great, and stealing American content ends up hurting everyone,” writes Sam Quigley, News/Media Alliance Communications Director, about the April 7th launch of the “Support Responsible AI” campaign. “This is particularly true when generative AI reduces traffic and engagement to original content sources, threatening the livelihood of creators, the sustainability of creative businesses, and the ability of communities across America to access reliable and high-quality content.”

Ads offered as part of the “Support Responsible AI” campaign (Source: News/Media Alliance)

Set to run in hundreds of publications and outlets this week, the ads are available for download, but News/Media Alliance members were given flexibility to “choose the image and message that you feel best fits your publications.” On a whole, the campaign puts forth three main asks of Washington:

1. Require AI companies to compensate content creators fairly
2. Mandate “transparency, sourcing, and attribution” for content that is AI-generated
3. “Prevent monopolies from engaging in coercive and anti-competitive practices.”

An included QR code even prompts people to contact their local representatives about compensation and attribution. 

Building AI Responsibly

For publishers who see the value that AI does bring, those calls for responsibility in how Big Tech constructs its AI products seem beyond reasonable.

“The news media industry is not anti-AI,” writes News/Media Alliance President and CEO Danielle Coffey. “Many companies and creators use AI tools in their work. Rather, we seek a balanced ecosystem where AI is built responsibly, providing return to the quality content that fuels its intelligence and drives international competitiveness.”