The AI startup Perplexity stated that media companies such as News Corp are trying to restrain the development of artificial intelligence by using lawsuits as a means of control. In its blog post, the company publicly responded to the news corporation’s lawsuit filed earlier this week, which alleged that Perplexity is engaged in “widespread copyright infringement” regarding content from Dow Jones and the New York Post.
The dispute between Perplexity and news media is unfolding against the backdrop of a wave of lawsuits against generative AI tools. “The common theme of these complaints is the desire for this technology not to exist,” the Perplexity AI team writes, accusing corporations of trying to control access to information.
Media companies would prefer to live in a world where facts that are openly published belong to corporations, and any use of them must be paid for.
Perplexity, which is already working with a small group of media companies on a revenue-sharing basis, considers News Corp’s lawsuit “short-sighted, unnecessary, and contrary to the interests of both parties.” The startup emphasized that since its founding, it has provided source links and citations in its responses, ensuring transparency in its handling of content. The company also noted that in response to News Corp’s inquiry, its team reacted “the same day,” but instead of continuing the dialogue, the media giant filed a lawsuit.
