Gb imposes right to opt-out from AI Overviews: publishers rejoice

London - In a globally unprecedented move, the UKCompetition and Markets Authority (CMA) has imposed the right to opt-out from Google AI, the artificial intelligence-driven search engine developed by the US group.

As of today, British users, including publishers and online news sites, can request that their content not be used in AI-driven summaries on Google. The British antitrust authority explained that the measure will serve to 'put publishers and media in a stronger negotiating position vis-à-vis Google' and to protect consumers.

According to many organisations, in fact, access to their sites has dropped considerably since Google introduced AI-generated summaries at the top of the search results list. Many users simply read the summary to get the required information and do not click on the site.

The news was welcomed by the News media association, which represents news publishers, who described the Authority's decision as 'an important step towards the creation of a fair and transparent digital economy where premium content is respected and fairly rewarded'.

Google has let it be known that it will already introduce new ways of control that will allow publishers to manage the way their links and content are used in online searches made with artificial intelligence. The new system will start in the UK but will then be rolled out globally.