TL;DR
The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) is calling for standardised “nutrition labels” on AI-generated news showing what sources were used, plus a UK licensing regime allowing publishers to negotiate payments from tech companies.
AI as Information Gatekeeper
The left-of-centre thinktank warns that AI firms are rapidly becoming the new “gatekeepers” of the internet. Google’s AI overviews now reach 2 billion users monthly, and approximately a quarter of people use AI to get information, according to the Reuters Institute.
“If AI companies are going to profit from journalism and shape what the public sees, they must be required to pay fairly for the news they use,” said Roa Powell, senior research fellow at IPPR.
Testing AI News Sources
IPPR tested four AI tools—ChatGPT, Google AI overviews, Google Gemini, and Perplexity—entering 100 news-related queries and analysing over 2,500 links.
Key findings:
- The Guardian appeared in nearly 60% of ChatGPT responses (it has an OpenAI licensing deal)
- Telegraph, GB News, the Sun, and Daily Mail were cited in fewer than 4% of ChatGPT answers
- ChatGPT and Gemini did not cite BBC content, which has blocked their bots
- Google Overviews and Perplexity used BBC content despite the broadcaster’s objections
Concerns About Licensing
The IPPR raised concerns that licensed publications appearing more prominently in AI answers could lock out smaller and local news providers unlikely to secure AI deals.
While licensing deals could replace some lost advertising revenue, the thinktank warned they would not maintain a healthy news ecosystem and could make news organisations dependent on tech giants for income.
The report recommends public funding for investigative and local news, whose sustainability could be threatened by AI, and for the BBC to “innovate with AI.”