EU investigates Google’s AI-generated snippets in search results

The European Union has launched an investigation into Google’s artificial intelligence (AI) snippets that appear above search results.

The European Commission said it would investigate whether the company used website data to provide the service and whether it failed to provide “appropriate compensation” to publishers.

It is also investigating how YouTube videos are used to improve its broader artificial intelligence systems, and whether content creators will be able to opt out.

A Google spokesman said the investigation “has the potential to stifle innovation in a market that is more competitive than ever.”

They said: “Europeans deserve to benefit from the latest technologies and we will continue to work closely with them as the news and creative industries transition to the age of artificial intelligence.”

The EU investigation will also cover Google’s artificial intelligence model, which provides people with answers in a conversational manner and provides links to some other pages.

It complements the tech giant’s existing search platform and offers a similar experience to competitors like ChatGPT.

Google rolls out its AI overview summary amid concerns Resulting in fewer website visitors.

If no one clicks on a page, the site makes less money from ads.

The Daily Mail previously claimed that since Google launched its artificial intelligence overview feature, the number of people clicking on Google search results links has dropped by about 50%.

The committee said it was concerned that neither online publishers nor YouTube video creators were compensated or given the opportunity to opt out of having their content used to train the company’s artificial intelligence models.

Ed Newton-Rex of AI fairness campaigner Fairly Trained said it would be “career suicide” for people not to post their work on YouTube or online.

He told the BBC that Google “essentially makes it a condition of online publishing” that the company can “use your work to build artificial intelligence that competes with you.”

“This survey comes at a most critical time for creators around the world,” he said.

The move was also welcomed by Rosa Curling, co-executive director of the Foxglove campaign group, which in June called on the commission to address the impact of AI overview on independent media organisations.

But she said “clear and present” dangers to journalism and democracy remained.

“We need news publishers to urgently opt out to stop Google stealing their stories today – not after the investigation is concluded,” she said.

“Otherwise, by the time the committee is ready to take action, there will be very little left.”

The committee’s investigation boils down to whether Google used the work of others posted online to build its own artificial intelligence tools and profit from them.

Its generative AI system can generate text, images and videos in seconds based on simple text prompts.

Many companies can do this now – they already use a lot of online web content to train their underlying systems.

But creatives have expressed concern that their work could form the basis of AI products and output from big tech companies, at the expense of their own rights or livelihoods.

“Liberal and democratic societies depend on diverse media, open access to information, and a vibrant creative landscape,” said Commission Executive Vice President Teresa Ribera.

She said artificial intelligence was bringing “remarkable innovation” and “many benefits for people and businesses” but its growth should not come at the expense of EU values.

But the commission’s recent enforcement of strict digital rules – which face hefty fines for tech companies if found to have been breached – has drawn the ire of U.S. lawmakers.

Elon Musk’s X Platform Cuts to committee’s account for advertising The situation emerged on the site after the EU fined it €120m (£105m) for its blue verification badge.