Key Points
- Google pilots AI‑generated article overviews on Google News pages.
- Participating publishers include Der Spiegel, The Guardian, The Washington Post, among others.
- Summaries appear only on the news pages of participating outlets, not in broader Search results.
- Publishers receive direct payments from Google for participation.
- The initiative follows earlier AI summary experiments in Google Discover.
- Google is also testing audio briefings and expanding the Preferred Sources feature.
- New contextual introductions for embedded links will be added to the Gemini app.
Google Introduces AI‑Powered Overviews in a Pilot Program
Google announced a new pilot that places AI‑generated article overviews on the Google News pages of selected publishers. The program is designed to give readers additional context before they click through to full stories, with the aim of fostering more engaged audiences.
Participating outlets span a range of markets and include well‑known names such as Der Spiegel, El País, Folha, Infobae, Kompas, The Guardian, The Times of India, The Washington Examiner, and The Washington Post. Publishers in the pilot will receive direct payments from Google, which may offset any potential reduction in traffic that could result from the presence of on‑page summaries.
Scope and Limitations
The AI‑generated overviews are limited to the Google News pages of the participating publications and will not appear elsewhere in Google News or in Search results. Each summary includes clear attribution and a link back to the original article, ensuring that readers can easily access the full content.
Building on Prior AI Experiments
This pilot follows Google’s earlier rollout of AI summaries in its Discover feed, where users see a brief AI‑generated description alongside logos of multiple news sources. In addition to text summaries, Google is experimenting with audio briefings for users who prefer listening to news.
Related Initiatives
Alongside the AI overview pilot, Google is expanding its “Preferred Sources” feature, allowing users to select favored news sites that will appear prominently in Top Stories. The company also plans to enhance its Gemini app with real‑time information from partners such as Estadão, Antara, Yonhap, and the Associated Press, and to introduce contextual introductions for embedded links.
Google emphasized that these developments are part of an ongoing effort to adapt to evolving news consumption habits while collaborating with publishers of all sizes.
Source: techcrunch.com