Microsoft has introduced a new system designed to help news organizations and authors get paid when their work is used by artificial intelligence. The new platform, called the Publisher Content Marketplace (PCM), allows publishers to license their articles and data directly to AI companies. This move aims to create a fair economic model as the internet shifts toward an “agentic web,” where AI assistants perform tasks and answer questions directly for users.
A New Way for Publishers to Get Paid
The Publisher Content Marketplace acts as a bridge between content creators and technology companies. Through this system, publishers can set their own rules for how their material is used and decide on licensing terms. In return, AI developers gain access to high-quality, trusted information to train their systems and improve the accuracy of their answers.
Microsoft designed PCM to create a “direct value exchange.” Instead of complex, individual negotiations between every publisher and every AI company, the marketplace offers a scalable solution. Publishers receive payments based on the value their content delivers. The platform also provides detailed reports, showing publishers exactly how their work is being used and where it generates the most value.
Solving the “Open Web” Problem
For decades, the internet operated on a simple agreement: publishers posted content for free, and search engines sent readers to their websites. However, this model is changing. As AI tools like Microsoft Copilot begin answering questions directly in conversation, users are less likely to click through to a website. This shift has created tension, as AI systems rely on high-quality reporting to be accurate but often cut off the traffic that funds that reporting.
According to Microsoft, the quality of an AI’s answer depends heavily on the data it consumes. Whether a user is asking about medication interactions or financial advice, premium content leads to better, safer results. PCM addresses this by giving AI systems a legitimate way to access authoritative material—including content that might otherwise be locked behind paywalls or in archives—while ensuring the original creators are compensated.
Collaborating with Major Media Names
Microsoft did not build this marketplace alone. The company spent several months co-designing the platform with some of the largest news organizations in the United States. Early partners include The Associated Press, Business Insider, Condé Nast, Hearst Magazines, People Inc., USA TODAY, and Vox Media.
These partners helped shape key features of the marketplace, such as pricing models and governance rules. Participation in PCM is voluntary, and publishers retain full ownership and editorial independence over their work. On the buying side, Yahoo has signed on as one of the first partners to license content through the system.
Expanding the “Agentic Web”
Microsoft views this launch as just the beginning of a broader effort to support a sustainable content economy. The company is currently testing the system by using licensed content to ground responses in Microsoft Copilot. Following this pilot phase, Microsoft plans to expand the marketplace to include more publishers of all sizes, from international newsrooms to independent voices.
The ultimate goal is to ensure that journalists and subject-matter experts continue to play a vital role in the future of the internet. By formalizing how AI companies pay for the information they use, Microsoft hopes to build a web where quality content is both respected and profitable.
