AI Overview and the Risks to Brazilian Journalism: Momentum’s Contribution to CADE’s Administrative Inquiry

Committed to contributing to the realization of an independent, plural, and sustainable media ecosystem, Momentum – Journalism & Tech Task Force submitted, in November, a contribution to Administrative Inquiry No. 08700.003498/2019-03, conducted by CADE (Brazilian Administrative Council for Economic Defense). The investigation examines possible anticompetitive practices by Google, including abuse of dominant position in the online search and news markets through the improper use of third-party journalistic content (a practice known as “scraping”).

The submission – signed by our team and consultants – aimed to present the risks imposed on the Brazilian journalistic ecosystem by the reconfiguration of Google’s search services through the use of generative Artificial Intelligence tools (AI Overview). As detailed in the document, the spread of these tools may exacerbate the sustainability crisis faced by the media sector, as it primarily leads to loss of traffic for outlets, improper exploitation of copyright-protected content, and a decrease in digital advertising flows.

Drawing on international experiences, especially from Global South countries, the document also suggests mitigation measures to protect the sustainability of professional and public-interest journalism. Momentum believes – and actively works – to ensure that actions such as the establishment of safeguards for the application of generative AI on journalistic content, guarantees that outlets choosing not to make their content available to AI will not be excluded from search mechanisms, and, above all, the creation of mechanisms for remuneration or compensation for the use of copyright-protected content, are put into practice as part of efforts to reduce the power asymmetry between Google and publishers.

Access the full submission below.