Amazon Eyes AI Content Marketplace as Publishers Seek Fair Pay

Amazon is in active discussions with publishing executives to launch a new marketplace that would act as a bridge between media companies and AI developers. 

According to a report from The Information, the goal is to create a one-stop shop where publishers can list their articles, photos, and archives for sale to companies looking for high-quality data to train their artificial intelligence.

The move comes as the relationship between AI developers and content creators has become a legal and ethical minefield. Generative AI systems learn from vast amounts of online data, much of which is copyrighted material owned by publishers. This has led to what TechCrunch describes as a “monsoon of lawsuits.”

At the same time, media companies are sounding the alarm. They argue that AI-powered search summaries and chatbots are pulling answers directly from their reporting, reducing the number of readers who click through to their websites. This, in turn, hurts their advertising revenue. 

Publishers aren’t just sitting back. Many are advocating for usage-based payment models, in which they receive higher payments when an AI system frequently relies on their content, rather than a single, flat licensing fee.

An Amazon spokesperson, when contacted by TechCrunch, gave a non-denial that hints at ongoing talks.

“Amazon has built long-lasting, innovative relationships with publishers across many areas of our business,” the spokesperson said. “We are always innovating together to best serve our customers, but we have nothing specific to share on this subject at this time.”

Following Microsoft’s lead

Amazon’s move would put it in direct competition with Microsoft, which recently introduced its own Publisher Content Marketplace. Microsoft says its platform “gives publishers a new revenue stream, provides AI systems with scaled access to premium content, and delivers better responses for consumers.”

The company has been testing its system for months with publishers such as The Associated Press, USA TODAY Co., Hearst Magazines, People Inc., Vox Media LLC, and Condé Nast. So far, Yahoo is the only publicly named buyer on Microsoft’s new platform.

If Amazon launches a similar offering, it would compete directly with Microsoft in building what could become a standardized channel for AI licensing.

How Amazon’s version might work

Details are scarce, but reports from The Information suggest Amazon’s marketplace would be run by its cloud computing arm, Amazon Web Services (AWS). Internal slides circulated ahead of an AWS conference grouped the proposed marketplace alongside core AWS AI tools like Bedrock and QuickSight, hinting at deep developer integration.

This isn’t Amazon’s first foray into licensing content for AI. The company reportedly already pays The New York Times over $20 million per year to use its archive. It has also launched a new AI-powered Alexa that uses content from over 200 media partners.

A dedicated marketplace, however, would represent a major strategic shift. It would position AWS not just as a provider of raw computing power for AI, but also as a crucial broker of the legal and ethical data the industry is increasingly desperate to find.

For more on how Big Tech is pouring an eye-watering $650 billion into AI this year, check out this eWeek breakdown of the 2026 spending surge.

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