BREAKING: The Chicago Tribune has just announced a federal lawsuit against the AI-powered search engine Perplexity, alleging serious copyright violations. Filed in a New York court, this suit claims that Perplexity has been using Tribune content without authorization, reigniting urgent discussions around AI and intellectual property rights.
The Tribune’s legal action comes after they contacted Perplexity in mid-October 2023 to address concerns over the unauthorized use of their material for AI training. In response, Perplexity’s legal team reportedly stated that they do not directly train their models on Tribune content; however, they admitted that their AI may utilize “non-verbatim factual summaries.” The Tribune disputes this claim, asserting that Perplexity reproduces their articles verbatim, infringing on copyright protections.
The lawsuit also scrutinizes Perplexity’s use of Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), a technology designed to mitigate AI hallucinations—instances where AI generates false information. The Tribune argues that this system employs their content without consent, while Perplexity’s Comet browser allegedly bypasses the Tribune’s paywall to create detailed summaries, raising substantial concerns about the extraction and regeneration of copyrighted materials.
This legal challenge reflects a growing trend among media companies, as more organizations take a stand against AI platforms using their content without permission. Just last month, the Tribune, along with 16 other publications, filed a similar lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft regarding AI model training practices. The situation is becoming increasingly contentious, as traditional media outlets grapple with AI developers over intellectual property rights.
In September, notable entities such as Merriam-Webster and Britannica also initiated legal actions over copyright and trademark infringements involving AI. Additionally, in a recent move, Amazon accused an AI firm of “unlawful practices” in AI shopping, further illustrating the escalating tensions between conventional media and emerging AI technologies.
As this lawsuit unfolds, the implications for both the media industry and AI development could be profound. Stakeholders are urged to monitor the developments closely as they could reshape the landscape of copyright law and content usage in the digital age.
Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story as it continues to impact the intersection of journalism and artificial intelligence.
