On July 23, more than 80 publishers gathered with the IAB Tech Lab to tackle a pressing issue: AI companies using their content without proper compensation. If you’ve ever felt the sting of your hard work being repurposed without recognition, you can appreciate the urgency behind their discussions. The meeting served as a wake-up call, urging publishers to band together amid an industry rapidly reshaped by generative AI.
One of the leading ideas was the IAB Tech Lab’s LLM Content Ingest API—a tool designed to give publishers control over who accesses their work and how it’s used. Although tech giants like Google and Meta were present, notable AI players such as OpenAI and Anthropic were missing. As Digiday’s Sara Guaglione and Seb Joseph reported, this session was less about final solutions and more about setting a foundation for a unified, strategic response.
Joseph explained that the API could pave the way for charging AI platforms for content access, reflecting publishers’ growing leverage in a digital ecosystem that hinges on real-time, reliable data. Attendees acknowledged that while early deals are emerging, the market is still in its infancy and will soon need standardised practices to guide future negotiations.
This meeting marks a crucial step toward securing fair compensation for creative work and steering the industry’s future. It’s a reminder that when challenges arise, coming together often sparks the most effective solutions.
