CNN and Google struck a multi-year AI partnership on 15 October 2026 that will put CNN articles in Google’s responses to news queries, Variety reported.
Sam Felix, CNN’s senior vice president of strategic partnerships and business development, said the agreement would create new ways for audiences to reach CNN journalism while compensating the network for use of its intellectual property in AI products.
The articles used in Google’s AI responses will receive credit, Felix told CNN staff in an email reviewed by Variety. He said the companies would also collaborate on AI features, search experiences, tools for CNN teams and marketing initiatives.
Months before the agreement, CNN sued Perplexity AI for copyright infringement after the companies failed to reach a licensing deal. Penske Media Corporation also sued Google over declining web traffic, but a federal judge dismissed its case earlier in October 2026.
Felix told staff that CNN was granting permission for use of its intellectual property in AI models and products and seeking compensation for that use.
