Yahoo’s chief executive has issued a stark warning that the rapid rise of artificial intelligence could pose an existential threat to publishers unless technology companies rethink how they use copyrighted material.
Jim Lanzone, who has led the American internet giant since 2021, said Yahoo is among the most heavily targeted sites by developers training AI systems. He criticised the practice of scraping articles without consent, then repackaging them for users without linking back to original sources.
“Unlike search, where the business model was an understood agreement – the engine aggregates and then sends traffic downstream to the publisher – the AI model takes content without consent. It’s like signing away your future existence,” Lanzone told reporters.
AI developers rely on enormous datasets made up of text, images, books and journalism, much of it copyrighted. Media companies argue that this amounts to unauthorised use of their work, undermining revenues and threatening their survival. Several lawsuits are already under way, including a high-profile case filed by The New York Times against OpenAI.
Some publishers have chosen to strike licensing deals with AI companies. Reddit and Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp are among those who have reached agreements. However, Lanzone dismissed such arrangements as “damage control” rather than genuine collaboration. “The first choice for any publisher would have been for their content not to be taken in the first place,” he said.
Yahoo, still ranked among the world’s top five most-visited websites, combines original reporting with articles from agencies such as Reuters and the Associated Press. Its ad-driven model depends heavily on traffic – a model Lanzone argued is being undermined as AI “short-circuits” the connection between readers and publishers.
Since being acquired by Apollo Global Management in a $5 billion deal four years ago, Yahoo has sought to reinforce its position as a leading content platform and aggregator. Lanzone, who previously led Tinder and CBS Interactive, stressed that the company remains committed to supporting publishers.
“We’ll continue to shine a light on the need for sustainable traffic for the open web,” he said. “Yahoo has always been about partnerships with publishers. Our future depends on theirs.”
Lanzone also hinted at upcoming developments in Yahoo’s approach to search, suggesting the company could introduce new features aimed at balancing innovation with the need to sustain media outlets.
His remarks add to growing debate over how AI should interact with the publishing industry, as news organisations weigh the risks of copyright infringement against the potential benefits of partnership.
