A group of US Senators, including Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren, is pushing the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate how Big Tech is using AI summaries to threaten content creators, including journalists, by misappropriating their work.
In a letter, the eight senators express concerns over the potential antitrust implications of generative AI features, introduced by major tech platforms like Google and Meta, and how they possibly undermine local news reporting.
The Senators argue that generative AI features, which summarize or replicate content without proper attribution, exacerbate the shuttering of local news organizations and widespread layoffs by diverting users from original sources and depriving creators of advertising revenue. Unlike traditional search results that direct traffic to publishers’ websites, AI-generated summaries keep users on the search platform, allowing the platform to profit while content creators lose out.
The Senators warn that AI features often present third-party content as original AI work, forcing creators to compete with their own content. They argue this practice raises serious competitive concerns and could distort the digital marketplace for content and advertising. The letter calls on the DOJ and FTC to determine if these AI features represent exclusionary conduct or unfair competition practices that violate antitrust laws.
This is the latest front in the regulatory scrutiny of AI’s impact on media and content creators, to protect the future of local journalism and maintain a competitive digital landscape. According to a study by BIA Advisory Services, broadcasters are losing nearly $2 billion each year as tech platforms like Google and Meta use their content.
Journalists and media advocates are questioning whether Google got off easy after a late August deal in California 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, who emphasized that no journalism organizations agreed to the terms, highlighting Big Tech’s unchecked power and the urgent need for regulation.
The Journalism Competition and Preservation Act, which is currently sitting in Congress, is seen as a potential solution, enabling news providers to negotiate content usage terms with tech giants.
