The newspapers ‘The Wall Street Journal’ and ‘The New York Post’ filed a lawsuit on Monday in a US court against the artificial intelligence company Perplexity AI, alleging massive infringement of their copyrights and trademarks.
Perplexity is one of Silicon Valley’s most promising startups, whose artificial intelligence (AI)-based search engine is often cited as possible rival to Google and OpenAI.
The lawsuit filed in federal court in New York accuses Perplexity of illegally copying and reproducing copyrighted content created from both newspapers. to feed your AI-powered “answer engine”.
Perplexity.ai is a question answering platform known for its minimalist and conversational interface. Unlike ChatGPT, Perplexity’s tool offers up-to-date solutions that often include links to sources, allowing users to verify information.
Furthermore, unlike a classic search engine, Perplexity offers answers directly on its page, making it unnecessary for users to click through to the originating website.
“Improper use” of protected content
According to the complaint, this constitutes “misuse” of protected content, which allows the company to divert readers and revenue from ‘The Wall Street Journal’ and ‘The New York Post’.
«Unlike the business model of a traditional internet search engine, Perplexity’s business model does not direct the business towards content creators. To the contrary, it appropriates monetization opportunities,” the legal action alleges.
Perplexity, which is backed by billionaire Jeff Bezos and AI-critical semiconductor giant Nvidia, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from media agency AFP.
The lawsuit also accuses Perplexity of damaging the brands of both publications by attributing false information to their editorial staff. The media requests precautionary measures and compensation of up to $150,000 for each violation. The plaintiffs also demand the destruction of any database containing their copyrighted works.
The ‘New York Times’ against AI training
The action follows similar accusations from The New York Times, which has sent a cease and desist letter to Perplexity, a first step toward a legal lawsuit. In a similar case, that New York newspaper filed a complaint against OpenAI at the end of last yearaccusing the creator of ChatGPT of stealing content to train his powerful AI with protected material.
News Corp, owner of ‘The Wall Street Journal’ and ‘The New York Post’, signed a content agreement with OpenAI and in the lawsuit alleges that Perplexity ignored requests to establish such a partnership.
#Wall #Street #Journal #York #Post #sue #ChatGPTs #rival #violating #copyright
