Perplexity Faces Legal Threat From Big Publication

BBC, one of the biggest publications in the world, has threatened legal action against the AI search engine startup Perplexity. The company has been accused of using its content without permission to train artificial intelligence models. According to a letter seen by the Financial Times, the BBC told Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas that it may seek an injunction unless the company stops scraping BBC content, deletes existing copies used for AI training, and submits a proposal for financial compensation for the alleged misuse of its intellectual property.

In response to these allegations, Perplexity has responded by calling the BBC’s claims “manipulative and opportunistic” and said the broadcaster misunderstands technology, the internet, and intellectual property law. The dispute comes as more publishers raise concerns about AI companies using their work to build and train new technologies without clear permission or compensation.

This is not the first time Perplexity has faced such accusations. In the past, media organizations like Forbes, Wired, and The New York Times had similar allegations against the AI startup. However, there’s no formal lawsuit has been filed yet. 

However, it’s important to keep in mind that in recent months, Perplexity has expanded its reach through notable partnerships, including a collaboration with Wiley to integrate authoritative educational content into its search platform. The company has also teamed up with PayPal to enable in-chat shopping and payment features and is in advanced talks with Samsung to bring its AI-powered search assistant to millions of devices. Additionally, Perplexity has partnered with Fireflies and other tech firms to add real-time search and productivity capabilities to its offerings.

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