Perplexity AI Introduces Publisher Revenue Sharing Program Amid Plagiarism Claims
AI search startup Perplexity launches a new program to share ad revenue with publishers whose articles inform its generated answers. The initiative arrives shortly after Forbes accuses the company of plagiarizing its paywalled content.
AI search startup Perplexity launches a revenue sharing program that compensates publishers when their articles contribute to search responses that generate ad income. The company plans to share a double-digit percentage of advertising revenue for every news article its search engine cites, paying a separate fee for each referenced piece. Participating publishers also receive a free one-year subscription to Perplexity's premium search tier, access to its application programming interfaces, and dedicated technical support.
Unlike traditional search engines that display a list of web links, Perplexity generates natural language text snippets to directly answer user queries. The San Francisco-based startup currently earns money through a paid version of its tool that provides more detailed answers, and it plans to introduce an advertising service in the coming months. This upcoming ad platform allows brands to display promotions directly beneath the AI-generated answers.
This new compensation initiative rolls out just a few weeks after Forbes accuses Perplexity of plagiarizing one of its paywalled articles in a search result. Perplexity's CEO states that the company structures this program to ensure a scalable and sustainable way to align incentives for all parties involved, aiming to build stronger relationships with the media outlets that supply its underlying data.