Google, California Agree to Five-Year Deal to Fund Journalism and AI Research

The Facts

• Google and the state of California announced on Thursday that they had reached a five-year deal worth nearly $250M to support local journalism and AI research.

• Approximately $110M will be provided by Google as well as $70M by California fund journalism programs, while Google has also committed a further $70M towards an AI research program. The deal is to begin in 2025 and will see $100M in funding in its first year.

• The agreement means that previously-ongoing bills in California's State Legislature attempting to charge social media and technology companies in order to fund local media will now be shelved.