In case you missed it, an interesting development in the ongoing debate around AI, publishers and how their content is used, credited (and paid for!). 👀
The SPUR Coalition, which includes BBC, The Guardian, Financial Times, Sky News and The Associated Press has published an open-source standard designed to help publishers track how their content is used by AI systems.
And it’s gaining momentum. The New York Times, The Economist, The Atlantic, Press Gazette and AFP have also joined, bringing the coalition to more than 80 publishers across over 20 countries.
🔎 So, what’s actually new?
SPUR’s Content Telemetry Standard sets out a common framework for AI platforms to report when publishers’ content is retrieved, used to inform AI-generated answers, cited, displayed or engaged with.
Importantly, it focuses on content used when AI systems generate answers, rather than model training.
💰 Why does it matter?
For publishers, it’s about understanding how their reporting is used by AI platforms, improving transparency around attribution and building a stronger case for fair compensation. For PR professionals, it raises wider questions around earned media, GEO and reputation management.
In a recent university lecture on AI and strategic comms, I discussed how our newest audience may not even be human. AI systems are increasingly shaping what people learn about organisations, drawing on third-party reporting and brands’ owned content.
That makes credible media coverage, original insights and accurate, evidence-backed comms increasingly important. But if earned media helps inform AI-generated answers without being cited, how do we demonstrate its influence and value?
🤝 What happens next?
SPUR has invited OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, Meta and Microsoft to join its Licensing Advisory Board, although their participation has yet to be publicly confirmed. Work is also underway on pilot implementations and ways to verify AI content usage data.
While widespread adoption remains the challenge, this is a promising step towards greater transparency and fairer recognition of the reporting that helps inform AI-generated answers.
#AI #AIinPR #PublicRelations #StrategicCommunications #EarnedMedia #GEO #Journalism #PR
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