Google AI search updates and news licensing expansion

Google is updating its AI-driven search experiences, such as AI Overviews and AI Mode, to increase the visibility of website links. These updates include placing inline links more prominently and testing dedicated sections at the top of responses that feature official websites relevant to specific tasks. To counter the decline in website traffic caused by users receiving direct answers from AI summaries, Google is expanding its global link carousel, which displays relevant article titles and images beneath AI-generated text. This carousel will prioritize news-related queries and may include perspectives from social media or forums.

To address declining web traffic for publishers—which reportedly saw a 40% drop from Google between July 2025 and July 2026—Google is expanding its News AI pilot program. This program now includes over 400 publications worldwide, such as Axios, the Financial Times, and Forbes, and compensates news organizations for using their content to develop AI features like article overviews and audio briefings.

As part of this expansion, CNN has entered into a multiyear licensing agreement with Google. The deal allows Google to use CNN’s journalism to power generative AI features, including summaries and customizable audio briefings, while providing clear attribution and direct links to the original reporting. CNN’s senior vice president of strategic partnerships, Sam Felix, noted the alliance creates “new pathways for audiences to access CNN’s unparalleled journalism while being compensated for the delivery and use of our unique intellectual property in connection with AI products.” Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai noted that AI Overviews have reached over two billion monthly users across more than 200 countries.