AAP strikes deal to supply journalism to Google’s Gemini

Australian Associated Press (AAP) will provide its newswire content to Google’s Gemini AI chatbot under a new partnership aimed at improving the timeliness and reliability of the tool’s responses for Australian users.

AAP, which celebrates its 90th anniversary this year, is positioning the agreement as part of its digital transformation strategy and as recognition of its independence and objectivity. Chief executive Emma Cowdroy said the deal would help ensure that accurate information underpins Gemini’s outputs. “We are pleased to partner with Google to provide our journalism as a mechanism for ensuring timeliness and accuracy in the information that its products provide,” she said.

For Google, the move extends its long-running collaboration with AAP. Nic Hopkins, the company’s head of news partnerships for Australia and New Zealand, said Gemini will now benefit from a real-time feed tailored to Australians seeking local news, building on years of joint work on newsroom training and digital innovation.

The arrangement follows a series of similar partnerships between AI companies and publishers, many of which do not disclose financial terms. Reports in outlets including the AP, Jakarta Post and Mathrubhumi describe the initiative as part of a broader trend to license newsroom content in order to strengthen AI tools with trusted sources.

Analysts say the deal reflects both commercial opportunity and editorial risk. Licensed feeds promise greater reach for AAP’s journalism, but the integration of news content into AI-generated answers raises questions about oversight, attribution and the durability of fact-checking once stories are embedded within automated responses.

As one of the first major licensing agreements of its kind in Australia, the AAP–Google partnership will be closely watched for how it shapes Gemini’s performance and whether it provides a model for other news organisations seeking to monetise their journalism in the age of AI.

Source: Noah Wire Services

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score:
6

Notes:
🕰️ Earliest clearly traceable publication of this narrative is a PR distribution dated 19 August 2025 (PR Newswire / AAP distribution). ([prnewswire.com](https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/aap-and-google-announce-new-partnership-302532631.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com), [aapnews.aap.com.au](https://aapnews.aap.com.au/aapreleases/cision20250818AE53296?utm_source=chatgpt.com)) ✅ The timing is current (same-day distribution) so it is not stale, but it is a press release rather than independent reporting — meaning freshness in calendar terms is high but originality is low. ⚠️ Related but distinct partnerships were reported earlier (e.g. AP–Google Jan 15, 2025 and a separate AAP–Google fact‑check programme announced 2 April 2024), which should be noted as context and may cause reader confusion if not distinguished. ([ap.org](https://www.ap.org/media-center/ap-in-the-news/2025/google-signs-deal-with-ap-to-deliver-up-to-date-news-through-its-gemini-ai-chatbot/?utm_source=chatgpt.com), [aap.com.au](https://www.aap.com.au/announcements/aap-and-google-launch-partnership-to-supercharge-the-fight-against-mis-and-disinformation/?utm_source=chatgpt.com))

Quotes check

Score:
3

Notes:
‼️ The direct quotations attributed to AAP CEO Emma Cowdroy and Google’s Nic Hopkins appear verbatim in the AAP/PR Newswire distribution and are widely republished across multiple outlets on 19 August 2025 — earliest visible use of these exact lines is the PR distribution. This indicates the quotes are part of the press release (not exclusive reporting) and have been reused. ([prnewswire.com](https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/aap-and-google-announce-new-partnership-302532631.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com), [aapnews.aap.com.au](https://aapnews.aap.com.au/aapreleases/cision20250818AE53296?utm_source=chatgpt.com)) ⚠️ No independent, earlier sourcing of these exact quotes was found prior to the PR release; identical wording appears across syndicated reprints (e.g. regional wire copies). ([singaporestar.com](https://www.singaporestar.com/news/278518393/aap-and-google-announce-new-partnership?utm_source=chatgpt.com), [plataformamedia.com](https://www.plataformamedia.com/en/2025/08/19/aap-and-google-announce-new-partnership/?utm_source=chatgpt.com))

Source reliability

Score:
8

Notes:
✅ The organisations named (Australian Associated Press and Google) and the individuals quoted (Emma Cowdroy; Nic Hopkins) are verifiable and have established public profiles. ([aap.com.au](https://www.aap.com.au/about?utm_source=chatgpt.com), [blog.google](https://blog.google/around-the-globe/google-asia/australia/new-program-helps-regional-journalists-develop-digital-skills/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)) ⚠️ However, the narrative is published as a distributed press release (PR Newswire) which has been republished verbatim by many outlets — this reduces the amount of independent verification and original reporting in the coverage. Multiple low-value republishers also carried the same text, so editorial scrutiny beyond the press release is limited. ([prnewswire.com](https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/aap-and-google-announce-new-partnership-302532631.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com), [vir.com.vn](https://vir.com.vn/aap-google-partner-on-digital-news-growth-134701.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com))

Plausability check

Score:
8

Notes:
✅ The claim — that AAP will provide its newsroom content to Google to improve Gemini’s local responses — is plausible and consistent with similar deals in 2024–2025 (e.g. AP–Google deal in Jan 2025 and other publisher agreements with AI firms). ([ap.org](https://www.ap.org/media-center/ap-in-the-news/2025/google-signs-deal-with-ap-to-deliver-up-to-date-news-through-its-gemini-ai-chatbot/?utm_source=chatgpt.com), [mumbrella.com.au](https://mumbrella.com.au/aap-and-google-strike-ai-news-deal-885845?utm_source=chatgpt.com)) ⚠️ Key details (contract length, financial terms, editorial controls, how content will be attributed inside Gemini) are not disclosed in the PR distribution; absence of those anchors reduces verifiability and leaves important impact questions open. If independent reporting or contractual documents do not appear shortly, treat the arrangements as announced but under-specified. ([prnewswire.com](https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/aap-and-google-announce-new-partnership-302532631.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com))

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): OPEN

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM

Summary:
✅ The narrative is credible in that it is an official PR distribution from Australian Associated Press dated 19 August 2025 — the quotes and claims are traceable to that release. ([prnewswire.com](https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/aap-and-google-announce-new-partnership-302532631.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com), [aapnews.aap.com.au](https://aapnews.aap.com.au/aapreleases/cision20250818AE53296?utm_source=chatgpt.com)) ⚠️ Major risks: the text is a syndicated press release reproduced widely (low originality), identical quotations are reused from the PR distribution (not independently sourced), and key contractual details (money, editorial controls, attribution) are undisclosed — all of which warrant further independent reporting before treating this as fully verified. ‼️ Context note: similar but separate deals (AP–Google, Jan 15, 2025) and earlier AAP–Google fact‑check collaboration (2 April 2024) exist and could be conflated with this announcement if not distinguished. ([ap.org](https://www.ap.org/media-center/ap-in-the-news/2025/google-signs-deal-with-ap-to-deliver-up-to-date-news-through-its-gemini-ai-chatbot/?utm_source=chatgpt.com), [aap.com.au](https://www.aap.com.au/announcements/aap-and-google-launch-partnership-to-supercharge-the-fight-against-mis-and-disinformation/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)) Overall: the announcement appears genuine (official PR) but because coverage is largely the distributed release with little independent follow-up, I recommend labelling the narrative as verified (official) but under‑documented — further reporting needed on terms and operational details. ⚠️