Google Expands Pilot Program to Pay Publishers for AI Content

Google has expanded its AI Contribution Pilot, a program that compensates publishers for content used to inform Gemini responses, AI Overviews, and AI-powered search features. Participating publishers receive revenue data through a dedicated widget in Google Search Console. Payments are based on the perceived value of the content rather than usage volume. Google describes the initiative as an early-stage experiment to explore new ways of rewarding high-quality content beyond traditional search traffic.