Senators demand protection of editorial offices from AI summaries

A group of U.S. senators, including Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren, are pushing the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate how big tech companies are using AI-generated summaries to intimidate content creators, including journalists, by taking their work.

In their letter, the eight senators expressed concerns about the potential antitrust implications of generative AI features being implemented by big tech platforms like Google and Meta and how they could undermine the quality of local news coverage.

The senators say generative AI features that summarize or duplicate content without proper attribution are exacerbating the closure of local news organizations and widespread layoffs, driving users away from original sources and depriving creators of advertising revenue. Unlike traditional search results, which drive traffic to publisher sites, AI-generated summaries keep users on the search platform, allowing the platform to profit while content creators lose.

The senators warn that AI features often pass off third-party content as original AI creations, forcing creators to compete with their own content. They argue that this practice raises serious competitive concerns and could distort the digital marketplace for content and advertising. The letter calls on the Justice Department and the FTC to determine whether these AI features constitute exclusionary conduct or unfair competitive practices that violate antitrust laws.

It’s the latest front in a regulatory probe into AI’s impact on media and content creators, aimed at protecting the future of local journalism and maintaining a competitive digital landscape. Broadcasters are losing nearly $2 billion annually as tech platforms like Google and Meta consume their content, according to a study by BIA Advisory Services.

Journalists and media advocates are wondering whether Google has avoided trouble after a deal was reached in California in late August that shelved legislation that would have required the tech giant to compensate local newsrooms for their content. The agreement raised concerns from the National Association of Broadcasters and the News Guilds, which said no news organization had agreed to the terms, underscoring the unchecked power of Big Tech and the urgent need for regulation.

The Journalism Competition and Content Protection Act, currently before Congress, is seen as a potential solution, allowing news providers to negotiate content use terms with tech giants.