Google makes a deal with California lawmakers to pay for local news

Google and California politicians have come to a deal to fund local news. This ends a long-running disagreement that caused Google to temporarily block news for some users in the state. The deal came after months of disagreement over the California Journalism Preservation Act, a plan that would have made tech giants like Google and Meta pay California publishers for linking to their content.

Google will donate tens of millions of dollars to help local news projects in California as part of the new deal. This means that the tech giant will give at least $55 million to a public charity based at UC Berkeley’s journalism school. This fund, which also has an extra $70 million from the state of California, will help local news and press organisations that are having a hard time in the digital age.

Google has also promised to give $50 million over five years to support news projects that are already in place. People think this long-term investment will help the local news environment a lot. It has been having money problems lately because ads are moving from traditional media to online platforms.

One of the most interesting parts of the plan is the creation of a “National AI Innovation Accelerator.” Reports say that Google will spend at least $17.5 million on AI projects that will help local businesses and organisations, such as newsrooms. Details about this program are still limited. This project is meant to look into how AI could improve news and other local businesses. However, it might cause some debate because of worries about how AI will affect traditional publishing.

Alphabet’s President of Global Affairs, Kent Walker, thanked Governor Gavin Newsom and other state leaders for their part in making this happen. Walker said, “California lawmakers have worked with the news and tech industries to create a framework for working together to speed up AI innovation and help local and national businesses and nonprofits.” He made it clear that this relationship between the government and the business sector not only helps journalism but also makes California a leader in AI policy and innovation.

There is a growing trend for tech companies and local governments to work together to solve problems in the news business and promote technological progress. This deal is an example of this. Google’s relationship with California could be used as a model for similar projects in other states and areas as part of its long-term commitment.