The introduction of AI-generated answers in Google Search is not merely a technical development. For news publishers, this change alters the way internet users access information and challenges several mechanisms that have shaped content distribution for more than twenty years.
Is Google becoming an intermediary or a content publisher?
The main issue raised by SEPM goes beyond the simple functioning of a search engine.
Until now, Google has directed users to news sites through a list of search results. With AI Overviews and AI Mode, users now receive a summary generated by artificial intelligence directly from multiple sources. According to the union, this development now positions Google as a content producer using information from publishers.
The SEPM also cites several rulings handed down in Germany. On May 28, 2026, the Munich Regional Court ruled that the responses generated by AI Overviews constituted Google?s own content. The German regional media authorities, which are part of the ZAK, have, for their part, determined that these services now play an editorial role in providing access to information.
For media companies, this distinction is crucial. If a platform becomes a content producer itself, issues related to neighboring rights, editorial responsibility, and value sharing take on a whole new dimension.
A deployment process contested by publishers
The launch schedule is a second point of contention.
The SEPM claims to have learned of the rollout through media reports, without prior consultation or negotiation. The union states that an email simply mentioned a launch during the summer, without a specific date. Publishers did not receive confirmation of the rollout until July 22, 2026, the day the new services became available to French users.
The press release also disputes Google's claims that discussions took place with industry representatives. The SEPM asserts that no discussions were held with its organization prior to the launch.
Beyond the timeline, the publishers believe that several commitments made to the Competition Authority?particularly in connection with Decision 22 D 13?required good-faith negotiations regarding new uses of press content.
Audience, search engine optimization, and related rights remain unaddressed
For media groups, the questions are now very specific.
The SEPM states that it has no data available to assess the impact of AI-generated summaries on traffic, the visibility of news brands, or the value of content. According to the union, the precise functioning of the opt-out mechanism announced by Google also remains insufficiently documented. In particular, publishers want to know how refusing to allow the use of their content will affect their organic search rankings.
Another cause for concern is that the exact scope of the uses covered by the existing compensation agreements is not specified. The methods for calculating this compensation are also a point of disagreement.
For media company executives, these factors directly influence economic decisions regarding editorial and digital investments.
Published studies are fueling the debate over the decline in traffic
The SEPM does not base its argument solely on assumptions.
The press release cites several international studies conducted by Ahrefs, the Indian School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University, and Sistrix. Despite their different methodologies, these studies reach a similar conclusion. The presence of an AI-generated summary in search results reduces the number of clicks to news sites and increases the proportion of searches that end without a visit to an external site.
The union also points out that Google already has a wealth of experience, since these features have been in use in several countries for nearly two years. French publishers, on the other hand, do not have access to the same metrics.
At the same time, Alphabet announced a 19% increase in Google Search revenue for the first quarter of 2026, reaching $60.4 billion. Its CEO attributed this growth to the development of AI Overviews and AI Mode, a factor that the SEPM puts into perspective alongside the concerns expressed by publishers regarding value sharing.
An issue set to extend beyond the press sector alone
The SEPM is calling on public authorities to examine the competitive and legal implications of the rollout of AI Overviews and AI Mode. The union believes that the principles of transparency, fairness, and compensation provided for under the neighboring rights regime must continue to apply when journalistic content is used to power artificial intelligence services.
The issue now extends beyond the relationship between Google and news publishers. It also affects companies in the graphic arts, printing, and communications industries, some of whose business depends directly on the financial capacity of media groups to fund content production. The evolution of search engines, the rise of generative artificial intelligence, and future decisions by regulatory authorities will shape a new value chain for information. The coming months will reveal whether this new balance will be based on negotiation, changes in the law, or new technical practices that allow publishers to better control the use of their content.
