Google News AI Pilot Program Tops 400 Participating Publications

Google said on October 15, 2026 that more than 400 publications worldwide are now participating in its News AI pilot program, a licensing initiative under which the company pays news publishers for the delivery and use of enhanced content to develop new AI features. In an update published on its The Keyword blog, Google named the program’s newest partners, which range from global outlets such as Axios, CNN, The Financial Times and Forbes to local publishers in the United States including Post and Courier, Texas Tribune, Oil City News and Shaw Media.

The program launched in December 2025 with a range of news partners that included The Washington Examiner and The Washington Post. In the update, Google said people’s information habits are evolving quickly and that platforms and publishers of all sizes are navigating those changes, and it described the program’s growth as an evolution of its partnerships as newsrooms adapt to shifts in user preferences and new technology.

According to the update, Google pays participating news publications for the delivery and use of enhanced content to develop new AI…