Publishers to AI companies: Journalism is not a free-floating internet input

Journalism is not “free-floating internet input” for AI models to consume and is an essential “democratic infrastructure” that requires protection and payment, India’s top media leaders declared in a powerful appeal to tech giants during a panel discussion on “AI and Media: Opportunities, Responsible Pathways, and the Road Ahead” convened by Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) at the IndiaAI Impact Summit 2026, organised by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

The conversation was about whether journalism must be treated differently from other content in AI systems.