Headline: New York Times Slaps Perplexity with "Cease and Desist" Notice Over AI Content Use
In a fresh development in the ongoing debate around the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in media, The New York Times has sent a "cease and desist" notice to Perplexity, a startup using the newspaper’s content for its AI chatbot. This move marks the latest clash between a news publisher and an AI firm.
According to a letter shared with Reuters, The New York Times alleged that Perplexity’s use of its content, including creation of summaries and other types of output, violates copyright law. The publisher is demanding that Perplexity immediately stop all current and future unauthorized access and use of its content.
Perplexity has resisted the claim, stating that it indexes web pages and surfaces factual content as citations to inform responses when a user asks a question. The company has promised to respond by an October 30 deadline to provide the requested information.
This development comes as part of an ongoing tussle between news publishers and AI companies, which have been accused of using copyrighted material without permission. The New York Times has also sued OpenAI, accusing it of using millions of its newspaper articles to train its AI chatbot.
Perplexity has faced criticism for allegedly plagiarizing content from media organizations such as Forbes and Wired, but has since launched a revenue-sharing program to address concerns raised by publishers.
As AI technology continues to evolve, the debate around its use in media is likely to remain a hot topic. For now, it remains to be seen whether Perplexity will comply with The New York Times’ demands or continue to use the publisher’s content for its AI purposes.
