Chicago Tribune sues Perplexity | JS

The Chicago Tribune Files Lawsuit Against AI Search Engine Perplexity for Copyright Infringement

The Chicago Tribune recently took legal action against AI search engine Perplexity, alleging copyright infringement in a lawsuit filed in a federal court in New York. The lawsuit claims that Perplexity used Tribune content without permission, despite initially denying it during communications with the Tribune’s lawyers.

The Tribune’s legal team argues that Perplexity is delivering Tribune content verbatim, particularly through its Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) method. RAG is designed to prevent inaccuracies by using verified data sources, but the Tribune alleges that Perplexity is using its content in RAG systems without authorization. Additionally, the Tribune accuses Perplexity’s Comet browser of bypassing the Tribune’s paywall to provide detailed summaries of its articles.

This is not the first time the Tribune has taken legal action against tech companies for copyright infringement. In April, the Tribune, along with other news publications, sued OpenAI and Microsoft over similar allegations. The outcome of these lawsuits could have significant implications for the legal responsibilities of model makers like Perplexity.

Perplexity has not responded to the Tribune’s lawsuit or requests for comment, and it is facing similar legal challenges from other companies like Reddit and Dow Jones. Amazon also recently threatened legal action against Perplexity for its AI browser shopping capabilities.

Conclusion

As the legal battle between the Chicago Tribune and Perplexity unfolds, it raises important questions about the use of AI models for content creation and distribution. The outcome of these lawsuits could set a precedent for how AI companies handle copyrighted material in the future.