Amazon strikes AI licensing deal with Hearst and Condé Nast

Digiday is reporting that media conglomerates Hearst and Condé Nast have signed multi-year licensing agreements with Amazon to allow its AI shopping assistant Rufus access to the vast library of content held by the two companies. Between Hearst and Condé Nast, Rufus will have access to Cosmopolitan, GQ, Vogue and The New Yorker, just to name a few.

A Hearst spokesperson confirmed to Digiday that the licensing deal with Amazon will allow Rufus broad access to its newspapers and magazines. The publication also received confirmation from Condé Nast. Further details on the arrangements have not been shared.

Rufus is a chatbot built to answer shoppers' questions on product recommendations and other shopping-related needs. The AI tool is trained on Amazon's catalog, customer reviews, community Q&As, and "information from across the web." The strong commerce angle found in much of the Hearst and Condé Nast catalog makes the publishers suitable matches for the AI to train on.

This follows a slew of licensing deals over the last few years between content publishers and tech giants seeking more content on which to train AI. For Condé Nast, this actually marks the second major AI deal for the media company since it entered into a multi-year partnership with OpenAI last year to display content from its various publications in ChatGPT.

Amazon recently struck a licensing arrangement with The New York Times and its adjacent properties, all while the iconic newspaper is embroiled in a lawsuit against Microsoft and OpenAI for copyright infringement.

From Disney and Universal suing Midjourney to Reddit signing an AI deal, these latest signings are a continuation of the existential back-and-forth between content creators protecting their intellectual property and AI companies' seemingly endless appetite for more content on which to train their various models.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazon-strikes-ai-licensing-deal-with-hearst-and-conde-nast-134849930.html?src=rss https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazon-strikes-ai-licensing-deal-with-hearst-and-conde-nast-134849930.html?src=rss
Created 19h | Jul 10, 2025, 2:10:08 PM


Login to add comment

Other posts in this group

The best Amazon Prime Day robot vacuum deals end tonight: Save on machines from Shark, iRobot, Dyson and others

Robot vacuums are some of the pricier smart home gadgets you can get, making them great items to look for during sales like

Jul 11, 2025, 8:40:16 AM | Engadget
Amazon Prime Day kitchen deals: It's the last day to get up to 50 percent off air fryers, Instant Pots, blenders and more

If you’re considering updating your kitchen setup, first check out the best Prime Day kitchen deals we could find f

Jul 11, 2025, 8:40:15 AM | Engadget
The best Prime Day gaming deals on video games, hardware and more to get before the sale ends

It doesn't take much to play games these days. Phone, console, PC or handheld are all viable options. But why play using the bare minimum when you can upgrade your setup on the cheap by snagging a

Jul 11, 2025, 8:40:14 AM | Engadget
Prime Day laptop deals: Save on MacBooks, Windows 11 machines, Chromebooks and others before the sale ends

Regardless of if you need a new laptop for the upcoming semester or for general use at home,

Jul 11, 2025, 8:40:12 AM | Engadget
Paramount+ deal: Get two months of access for only $2

It's hot out there, so this might be the perfect time to stay in and binge some TV. Paramount+ is offering one heck of a deal right now for budding couch potatoes,

Jul 11, 2025, 8:40:11 AM | Engadget
Last chance Prime Day deals: Get up to 36 percent off Kindles and ereaders

Amazon’s big sale is almost ending (today is the last day) and these are the best

Jul 11, 2025, 8:40:10 AM | Engadget
The best Amazon Prime Day deals for the last day: Our top picks on headphones, TVs, robot vacuums and more

Amazon Prime Day 2025 is almost a wrap, so Prime members should take advantage of the long-awaited discounts across

Jul 11, 2025, 8:40:07 AM | Engadget