Meta Platforms, Inc. (META.US) has been engaged in discussions with multiple media companies over recent months to secure licensing agreements for their content to support the development of its artificial intelligence (AI) products, according to reports.

The negotiations involve several major media organizations including Axel Springer, Fox Corporation (FOX.US), and News Corporation (NWS.US). Sources familiar with the matter indicate that Meta Platforms, the parent company of Instagram and WhatsApp, is seeking to obtain licensing rights for news and other content to power its AI-driven products, including chatbots.

Currently, Meta Platforms, Fox Corporation, and News Corporation have not provided immediate responses to requests for comment. Axel Springer has stated it does not comment on market speculation.

Reports suggest that some negotiations remain in preliminary stages, and final agreements may not necessarily be reached. It's worth noting that Fox Corporation and News Corporation share common controlling shareholders.

Meta Platforms has historically maintained a complex relationship with media publishers. The tech giant previously invested tens of millions of dollars in partnerships years ago, incorporating content from major publications into its "News" section. However, by 2022, Meta Platforms announced it would cease paying publishers for content.

As Meta Platforms reduced the priority of news content on its platform, many publishers experienced significant declines in traffic from Facebook. However, recent months have seen some publishers report a recovery in Facebook-driven traffic.

The rapid advancement of AI technology is creating significant challenges for the publishing industry. Technology companies are using web crawlers to extract website content, which is allegedly being used to train large language models (LLMs). In response, publishers are implementing measures to restrict access by unpaid AI crawlers to their websites.

In July this year, cybersecurity company Cloudflare updated its default settings to block AI crawlers that haven't paid for content access.

While Meta Platforms reached an AI content licensing agreement with Reuters in October last year, it only began broader negotiations with various publishers in recent months. Meanwhile, several of Meta Platforms' competitors have already secured multiple AI content licensing deals within the news industry.

For instance, OpenAI, backed by Microsoft Corporation (MSFT.US), has signed licensing agreements with publishers including News Corporation, Axel Springer, and Dotdash Meredith (now rebranded as People Inc.). Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN.US) has reached similar arrangements with major publications.