Perplexity, the AI-powered search startup, is rolling out a new “Publishers’ Program” to share ad revenue with media partners, amid recent plagiarism controversies.
This move signals a shift in how AI companies are approaching content partnerships, potentially setting a new standard for compensating publishers whose work is used to train and power AI systems.
Details:
Why we care. As Perplexity grows, it could become a significant new channel for digital advertising, offering alternatives to dominant players like Google. Their AI-powered search could evolve into new ad formats or targeting capabilities that aren’t possible with traditional search advertising.
The big picture. AI-powered search is more expensive than traditional search, pushing companies like Perplexity to quickly develop sustainable business models.
Between the lines. This initiative comes after recent accusations of plagiarism against Perplexity, including incidents involving Forbes and Wired.
However, unlike content licensing deals from companies like OpenAI and Google, Perplexity claims it doesn’t need to license content as it’s not training its language model on publishers’ writing.
What they’re saying:
What to watch. How this program compares to similar initiatives from competitors like OpenAI and whether it will satisfy publishers’ concerns about AI using copyrighted content.
