Condé Nast Inks Multiyear OpenAI Deal for Its Magazine Brands

Condé Nast is the latest media organization to strike a multiyear partnership with OpenAI.

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As part of the partnership, content from Vogue, The New Yorker, Condé Nast Traveler, GQ, Architectural Digest, Vanity Fair, Wired, Bon Appétit and more will be used within OpenAI products, including ChatGPT and the company’s Search GPT prototype, a new search feature which offers direct links to news stories. The company plans to eventually integrate it directly into ChatGPT.

In a memo to staff, Condé Nast CEO Roger Lynch cited the move as a way to make up for lost revenue “as many technology companies eroded publishers’ ability to monetize content, most recently with traditional search.”

Many other publications have signed deals with OpenAi, including the Associated Press, Axel Springer, The Atlantic , Dotdash Meredith, Financial Times , LeMonde , News Corp, Prisa Media, Time and Vox Media. However, the move has been met with some pushback from unions, including at The Atlantic , where members have been pushing for protections in a new contract that will ensure their jobs are not replaced with AI.

From the news publisher’s perspective, the deal is viewed as a way to bring in guaranteed revenue and potentially position the company for the future.

“It’s tangible, it’s meaningful. The way to regard the OpenAI agreement is that there will be a guaranteed amount and the two companies will be working to create products that generate even more value for both companies,” News Corp chief Robert Thomson said on an Aug. 10 earnings call.

“We’re committed to working with Condé Nast and other news publishers to ensure that as AI plays a larger role in news discovery and delivery, it maintains accuracy, integrity, and respect for quality reporting,” said Brad Lightcap, COO, OpenAI.

The full memo is below:

Dear all,

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I’m pleased to share with you that we are entering a multi-year partnership with OpenAI to expand the reach of Condé Nast’s content.

As we all know, generative AI is rapidly changing ways audiences are discovering information. It’s crucial that we meet audiences where they are and embrace new technologies while also ensuring proper attribution and compensation for use of our intellectual property. This is exactly what we have found with OpenAI.

Over the last decade, news and digital media have faced steep challenges as many technology companies eroded publishers’ ability to monetize content, most recently with traditional search. Our partnership with OpenAI begins to make up for some of that revenue, allowing us to continue to protect and invest in our journalism and creative endeavors.

Throughout the process OpenAI has shown that they too are very committed to this mission. They have been transparent and willing to productively work with publishers like us so that the public can receive reliable information and news through their platforms.

This partnership recognizes that the exceptional content produced by Condé Nast and our many titles cannot be replaced, and is a step toward making sure our technology-enabled future is one that is created responsibly. It is just the beginning and we will continue what we started in Washington earlier this year – the fight for fair deals and partnerships across the industry until all entities developing and deploying artificial intelligence take seriously, as OpenAI has, the rights of publishers.

My best,

Roger

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