Journalism and AI: Who owns the news?

AI chatbots are becoming a source of news for millions, but publishers say they use journalistic work to answer questions without bringing readers back to the original reporting. At a media forum in Berlin, industry leaders argued that this weakens the traffic and revenue model that has helped fund journalism, renewing calls for AI companies to seek permission and pay for content.

A 2026 Reuters Institute survey of more than 90,000 people found that 10% use chatbots for news weekly, with higher use among younger people. Media groups in Germany and a coalition including the BBC, Guardian and Financial Times have called for stronger protections, while lawsuits and EU legal reviews examine copyright issues. University of Amsterdam law professor Martin Senftleben said payment for training AI models is legally complex, but existing EU law may allow publishers and journalists to seek collective payment when their work is used in real-time answers.