Meta has signed multiple AI data licensing agreements with prominent global news organisations, including USA Today, People Inc., CNN, Fox News, The Daily Caller, Washington Examiner, and France’s Le Monde, according to reports. These partnerships are designed to bolster Meta’s AI assistant by enabling it to deliver timely news updates through direct links to publishers’ articles and websites, as the company intensifies its efforts to strengthen its AI ecosystem amid escalating industry competition.
In an official statement, Meta noted, “When users ask Meta AI for news, they will now receive updates and links sourced from a wider range of publishers — content that is current, relevant and tailored to individual interests.” Although the financial terms remain undisclosed, both People Inc. and USA Today confirmed they have finalised commercial arrangements with Meta.
The move comes at a critical moment for the tech giant, which is seeking to regain ground in the fiercely competitive AI landscape. Despite launching its latest Llama 4 model, market response has been lukewarm, even as Meta reallocates investment away from the metaverse and continues ramping up AI spending. Meanwhile, rival platforms such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini are increasingly integrating live news feeds into their responses.
This development also signals a significant strategic adjustment for Meta. The company previously scaled back its involvement in news distribution, shutting down Facebook News in the US, UK, and France, and ending several publisher funding programmes. It also wound down its US fact-checking initiative earlier this year. However, with AI becoming the defining battleground for tech companies, Meta appears ready to re-engage with news organisations to expand the informational depth of its chatbot.
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