Google fined 250M euros by French watchdog for infringing AI intellectual property

Google has agreed to pay a fine imposed by the French competition watchdog for violating European Union intellectual property laws in relation to its media publishers. The French authority raised concerns about Google’s AI service, Gemini, previously known as Bard, alleging that it used content from local publishers and news agencies without proper notification and clearance. In response, Google stated on its French-language blog that it is the only platform with licensing agreements with 280 French press publishers, amounting to “several tens of millions of euros per year.” Google accepted the demand for changing negotiation tactics and the fine to resolve the long-standing case. The company referred to the fine as “disproportionate” considering the issues highlighted by the French watchdog. It also claimed that the regulators failed to adequately recognize Google’s efforts to address their comments in a complex environment. The fine is connected to a copyright dispute case in France that was initiated by complaints from leading news companies, including Agence France Presse. This development comes after Google’s recent announcement of plans to establish a new AI hub in Paris, in collaboration with the French government, to support the country’s AI ambitions. Additionally, France is home to the startup Mistral AI and its Mistral large language model, which Microsoft will make accessible on Azure AI Studio and Azure Machine Learning in partnership with the firm.