In a recent exclusive report by The Wall Street Journal, it was revealed that The New York Times has issued a cease and desist letter to the AI research startup Perplexity, demanding that they halt access to and use of its content. This move comes in the wake of previous legal disputes surrounding content usage, notably involving OpenAI, the company behind the ChatGPT chatbot, which faced a lawsuit from The New York Times late last year over similar concerns.
Publishers, including Forbes and Condé Nast, have also accused Perplexity of unauthorized use of their articles, claiming that the company has been using their content to generate AI-generated outputs without permission.
Founded two years ago with backing from tech billionaire Jeff Bezos, Perplexity aims to challenge search engine giant Google. When users input questions or keywords, Perplexity provides AI-generated outlines as answers, complete with sources and links.
According to a copy of the letter obtained by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, via its legal representatives, asserted that Perplexity’s use of its articles to create AI-generated outlines violates copyright laws. The letter explicitly states that Perplexity was profiting from the unauthorized use of The New York Times’ well-researched, professionally edited content.
In response, Perplexity’s CEO, Aravind Srinivas, expressed a desire to collaborate with all publishers, including The New York Times, emphasizing that they do not wish to be seen as adversaries.
The Wall Street Journal’s analysis highlights the growing unease within the industry regarding the impact of AI technology on content generation. News organizations are increasingly at risk of their content being misused or stolen, which could harm their reputations and affect advertising and subscription revenues.
OpenAI has established partnerships with several media companies, including News Corp, Dotdash Meredith, and Axel Springer, allowing it to use their reporting content in exchange for payment to the publishers.
The report also mentions that search results have become a particularly sensitive topic, as AI-generated outputs from platforms like Google or Perplexity provide users with curated overviews, reducing the need to click through each article individually.
Lastly, The New York Times has sued OpenAI and Microsoft, accusing them of intellectual property infringement, claims that both companies vehemently deny.
