Zendy has introduced a pioneering revenue-sharing model integrated into its AI-powered research assistant, ZAIA. Utilizing Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), ZAIA retrieves data from both open-access and paywalled sources through licensing agreements. This model ensures that academic publishers are compensated when their paywalled research is cited by ZAIA, addressing longstanding concerns about AI models using proprietary content without proper attribution or revenue sharing.
Benefits & outcomes
- Provides a structured payment system for publishers based on the number of references ZAIA includes from their content.
- Encourages collaboration between AI developers and academic publishers through mutual licensing agreements.
- Ensures transparency in AI-driven academic research by compensating content creators.
- Supports researchers and institutions by providing access to high-quality, peer-reviewed materials while ensuring publishers are fairly compensated.
Notes & quotes
- “This is a positive shift for the academic publishing industry. For the first time, AI is being used to drive revenue back to publishers instead of bypassing them. Ethical AI means giving credit—and compensation—where it’s due.” – Kamran Kardan, Co-founder of Zendy.
- Zendy is collaborating with publishers including IT Governance, Lexxion, British Online Archives, and Lived Places Publishing to implement this model.
- The RAG system is also available for open-access publishers, with Zendy exploring alternative compensation structures for open-access content.
Publisher / company: Zendy (a product of Knowledge E)
Date of case study: 13/03/2025
Source: https://www.edtechinnovationhub.com/news/zendy-unveils-ai-revenue-sharing-model-to-compensate-academic-publishers