Shutterstock Inc. (SSTK) experienced a significant stock price plummet of 8.51% in pre-market trading on Wednesday. This decline followed reports of the company's planned merger with Getty Images in a $3.7 billion deal.

The proposed merger aims to address the growing demand for licensed content amid the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Under the terms of the deal, Getty shareholders will retain a 54.7% stake in the combined company.

Investors appear to be concerned about the financial implications and potential challenges associated with integrating two major players in the stock image and content licensing industry. The merger may pose operational and strategic hurdles, which could have contributed to the pre-market decline in Shutterstock's stock price.