Penske Media (owner of Rolling Stone, Variety, and Hollywood Reporter) has filed a lawsuit against Google, arguing that AI Overviews are harming publishers by reducing traffic and revenue.
Key points:
– AI-generated summaries appear in roughly 20% of search results pointing to Penske content.
– Penske claims these summaries give away too much information, leaving users less likely to click through to original articles.
– The company argues publishers face a “no-opt-out” scenario: either allow content in AI Overviews or risk losing visibility in Google Search.
– Google defends AI Overviews, saying users increasingly want contextual answers, while insisting the system can still send traffic back to publishers.
This case goes to the heart of how AI and search will coexist. If summaries replace clicks, publishers risk losing the traffic that funds journalism.
At the same time, Google is betting that users prefer quick, synthesized answers. The outcome could shape future rules on content licensing, AI training, and the economics of digital media.
