News publishers call Google’s AI Mode ‘theft’

The News/Media Alliance claims Google’s AI Mode is stealing content from publishers by replacing search results with a chatbot interface, depriving them of traffic and revenue. The trade group criticized the move as "thief" and warned that antitrust probes could lead to stricter regulations against internet monopolies. Google expanded the feature in the US Search tab during its I/O presentation, but CEO Danielle Coffey argued publishers should have opt-out rights or else risk losing access to their content entirely.