Meta strikes AI licensing deals with CNN, Fox News, and USA Today

On Friday, Meta announced that its AI chatbot will now respond with information from CNN, Fox News, USA Today, and People Inc.’s portfolio, as part of a new partnership with the companies.

The deal comes as publishers continue to sue AI companies for stealing content. The New York Times filed a lawsuit against AI startup Perplexity on Friday, for example, seeking to stop it from pulling its news until the two companies reach an agreement.

Meta says the partnerships will “improve Meta AI’s ability to deliver timely and relevant content and information with a wide variety of viewpoints and content types.” It has also struck deals with conservative outlets The Daily Caller and The Washington Examiner, as well as the French media conglomerate group Le Monde.

Meta’s shift toward AI-focused licensing agreements comes after the company backed out of deals with major publications and shuttered Facebook’s News tab. It also pulled news content from Facebook and Instagram in Canada after the country enacted a law requiring it to pay for news content.

Meta struck a similar AI licensing deal with Reuters last year. OpenAI has signed content agreements with publications such as The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, Tom’s Guide owner Future, and The Verge’s parent company Vox Media, but is facing a lawsuit from The New York Times as well.