CNN and Google Strike Multiyear Partnership to Embrace Generative AI - Variety

Oct 15, 2026 9:37am PT CNN and Google Strike Multiyear Partnership to Embrace Generative AI By Corbin Bolies Plus Icon Corbin Bolies Latest Anna Faris Says ‘It Hurts’ After ‘Mom’ Creator Chuck Lorre Admits His ‘Reluctance to Hire’ Her Was Proven ‘Correct’ After She Exited the Show 25 minutes ago CNN and Google Strike Multiyear Partnership to Embrace Generative AI 21 hours ago Trump Says Execution of Fort Hood Shooter by Firing Squad Will Not Be Livestreamed 23 hours ago See All Add us as a Google Preferred Source Getty Images CNN and Google have struck a multiyear partnership to help figure out how Google’s generative AI products can help boost engagement with its journalism, becoming the latest news organization to monetize its content to help a tech giant power its AI models. The deal appears to be in its early stages, as both sides have not revealed exactly how CNN will incorporate Google’s AI efforts to drive audiences toward its journalism. But Sam Felix, the network’s senior vice president of strategic partnerships and business development, said in a statement on Thursday the partnership would unlock “new pathways for audiences to access CNN’s unparalleled journalism while being compensated for the delivery and use of our unique intellectual property in connection with AI products.” Related Stories White House's New AI Website Confirms Trump Lost the 2020 Presidential Election Mayor Zohran Mamdani Refuses Jimmy Kimmel’s Request to Text Trump a Selfie of Them “Google’s innovation with generative AI has changed how people discover information and content, and now those tools will help us explore new ways to discover and engage audiences,” Felix said in a statement. Popular on Variety CNN’s deal comes months after it sued Perplexity AI for copyright infringement after both companies failed to reach a licensing deal, its first legal case against an AI company over the unauthorized use of its journalism. At the time, a CNN spokesperson said the network “actively embraces the opportunities AI creates.” It also reflects the impact Google’s AI summaries in its search engine have had on news organizations, many of which have highlighted how the responses have eaten into their web traffic. Penske Media Corporation, the parent company of Variety , The Hollywood Reporter, Rolling Stone and more, sued Google last year over the decline, though a federal judge dismissed the case earlier this month. In an email to CNN staffers reviewed by Variety, Felix said the partnership would see CNN articles power Google’s AI responses to users’ news-related queries, with respective stories credited. The agreement will also see the news network work with Google to “collaborate on new AI features, search experiences, tools for our teams and marketing initiatives.” “This is an important step forward in our broader AI strategy,” Felix wrote. “We’re embracing new technologies and ways for audiences to experience our journalism, while protecting our work and ensuring we’re compensated for, and granting permission for, the use of our intellectual property in AI models and products.” The deal is also part of Google’s pilot program to incorporate its AI to help boost engagement to news organizations’ websites, a program that has included global outlets such as Der Spiegel, El País, The Guardian, the Times of India, the Washington Examiner and the Washington Post. Produced by J.A. Bayona, Netflix Documentary Series ‘Beyond Society’ Examines What Happens After the Survivors of the 1972 Andes Plane Crash Return to Uruguay AI Can Cut Film Budgets by Up to 40%, Says ‘The Outlaws’ Director Kang Yoon-sung, as Netflix Reveals Use on 300 Titles: ‘A Human Touch Is Absolutely Essential’ ‘The Hunting Wives’ Renewed for Season 3 at Netflix Ahead of Season 2 Premiere South Asian Filmmakers to Vie for $150,000 at Tasveer Film Market as Netflix, Aamir Khan Pictures Attend Netflix Lays Off 6% of Employees, Eliminating About 1,000 Jobs in Biggest Cutbacks to Date ‘New Stanford Prison Experiment’ Drops Tense First Trailer Ahead of Netflix Release Loading comments...