Publishing and AI, Spur is born: UK publishers call for global rules and fair compensation

Spur's mission is ambitious: to create shared industry standards that enable AI developers to access high-quality journalism in a legitimate, responsible and simple manner, while ensuring that publishers have effective control over their content and a fair economic return.

Specifically, the coalition aims to define common rules for the sustainable use of original journalism and to reduce friction in licensing processes by bridging the gap between publishers and technology companies. It also aims to identify and close gaps in the technical tools needed to protect intellectual property, ensuring that the most valuable content is only accessible through authorised and traceable channels. In parallel, Spur aims to evaluate existing infrastructures and promote, where necessary, new technological solutions that make the use of journalistic content transparent and scalable.

The stated aim is to help build a market that rewards the production of original information and, at the same time, supports responsible innovation in the field of artificial intelligence.

Some signs of convergence between publishers and technology companies already exist: both the Financial Times and the Guardian have signed licensing agreements with OpenAI for the use of their content. However, according to the promoters of Spur, bilateral agreements are not enough. What is needed is a global framework, based on shared technical rules and a modern regulatory architecture, capable of defining clear rights, duties and expectations for the responsible development of artificial intelligence.

The coalition therefore aims to engage in dialogue with both technology companies and policy makers, in the conviction that only a systemic approach can guarantee sustainability of the information ecosystem.

In the open letter, the signatories recall how, for more than two centuries, media organisations have invested in journalism and news gathering that support informed and connected societies. A contribution based not only on the breadth of audience reached, but on editorial standards of accuracy, accountability and trust built over time.

What is at stake goes beyond protecting revenues: it is about preserving the economic and regulatory conditions that make independent information possible, capable of strengthening democracy, holding citizens accountable and calling those in power to account.