Will AI News Deals Save Journalism? Early Signs Are Mixed

Around the world, we're seeing big news publishers like *Le Monde* in France team up with major AI companies like OpenAI. The idea is for these AI companies to use the news articles to train their artificial intelligence systems. In return, the news outlets get paid, and their content might reach new audiences through AI tools.

The CEO of *Le Monde* described their deal with OpenAI as a "win-win." They expected that their journalism wouldn't be 'eaten up' by the AI – meaning people wouldn't just read the AI's summary instead of visiting *Le Monde*'s actual website. They also hoped it would help their content get found more easily in the digital world.

However, the latest reports suggest that while the agreement is helping *Le Monde* get paid, the extra traffic – that's how many people visit their website – from the AI platforms has been "marginal," or very small. This means folks aren't really flocking to their site after seeing their content used by AI. It brings up a big question: are these deals truly helping news organisations thrive in the long run, beyond just getting a cheque?

For Australian news organisations, and indeed for anyone who values local journalism, these early results are worth keeping an eye on. If AI partnerships don't bring in much new readership, news outlets will need to find other ways to ensure they can keep delivering quality news. It’s a bit of a balancing act, trying to benefit from new technology without losing your core audience.