Meta signs a multimillion dollar AI licensing deal with News Corp

Meta has signed an AI licensing cope with Information Corp that can permit the Meta AI maker to make use of content material from The Wall Avenue Journal and different manufacturers in its chatbot responses and for coaching of its AI fashions. Information Corp confirmed to Engadget that it had struck a cope with Meta, however did not present specifics on the phrases of the association. In keeping with The Wall Street Journal, Meta pays Information Corp. “as much as $50 million a yr” for a three-year deal that covers content material from The Journal, in addition to the media big’s different manufacturers within the US and UK.

Information Corp beforehand struck a five-year deal with OpenAI that was valued at round $250 million. Throughout a current look at Morgan Stanley’s annual Expertise, Media & Telecom (TMT) convention, Information Corp CEO Robert Thomson hinted that the media firm was within the “superior stage with different negotiations.”

He described the corporate’s general method to such preparations as “a woo and a sue” technique, relying on whether or not corporations need to pay for content material or scrape it with out permission. “Now we have what you would possibly name a woo and a sue technique,” he stated. “We’ll woo you. We would such as you to be our associate. However when you’re stealing our stuff, we’re going to sue you. So there will be a reduction for many who hand themselves in, and there will be a penalty for those who resist.”

A spokesperson for Meta confirmed that the 2 corporations had reached an settlement . The corporate, which has been reorganizing its AI groups because it appears to create its next model, has struck various licensing offers in current months. It beforehand signed multi-year agreements with USA Immediately, Folks, CNN, Fox Information and different shops. The corporate stated at the time that “by integrating extra and several types of information sources, our goal is to enhance Meta AI’s potential to ship well timed and related content material and data with all kinds of viewpoints and content material varieties.”

Replace, March 3, 2026, 4:18PM PT: This story was up to date with extra info from a Meta spokesperson.