Google has launched an invitation-only program called the AI contribution pilot, which compensates publishers for content used in AI Overviews and Gemini. The initiative currently includes approximately 100 small to mid-sized publishers and has been active for less than a year.
Participants track their earnings via a dedicated widget in Google Search Console. Compensation varies significantly: some publishers report earnings of less than $1,000 over several months, while others in niche sectors like gaming have earned over $1 million annually.
The methodology for calculating these payments remains undisclosed, leading to criticism from publishers. Some eligible companies are delaying participation, waiting for more transparent or lucrative licensing agreements from competitors like OpenAI.
The pilot marks a shift from traffic-based revenue to direct content payments. This move may also serve as a preemptive strategy to address regulatory pressure in regions like the EU and Australia, where governments are pushing for mandatory compensation for news publishers.
