The AI industry’s scramble for licensable content is heating up, and Microsoft, being at the center of it, is already looking ahead with Publisher Content Marketplace (PCM).
For those unaware, Microsoft’s PCM is designed to offer publishers a transparent framework for licensing, allowing AI developers to use their material legally and efficiently. Now, Amazon appears to be lining up with the same idea, at least according to a report by The Information.
Amazon is exploring a new marketplace where publishers can safely license content for AI
Per the report, the e-commerce giant shared slides about the idea ahead of an AWS conference for publishers. While Amazon hasn’t confirmed details, a spokesperson told TechCrunch that the company works closely with publishers across AWS, Retail, Advertising, AGI, and Alexa. “We are always innovating together to best serve our customers,” the statement read.
Speaking of publishers, Microsoft has already been testing PCM for several months with major U.S. publishers, including The Associated Press, Condé Nast, Vox Media, Hearst Magazines, and USA TODAY. As far as Amazon is concerned, this would be their first move into fixing the AI licensing problem. In the past, OpenAI and many other AI giants have struck deals with multiple publishers to license their content in a move to get away with copyright infringement lawsuits.
With the pace that the AI industry is booming, publishers have raised concerns related to AI summaries, especially those shown in Google search results. Many publishers have complained about traffic drops just because of that. Therefore, a marketplace-based system could offer a more sustainable way to monetize content as AI usage continues to grow.
Now, Microsoft already leading the way and Amazon hinting at its own move, the race for legally licensed AI content is finally taking a formal route.
Will other tech giants follow the same approach, or is this the start of a publisher-powered AI content economy? We’d love to hear your thoughts. Drop your comments below.
