AI search engine Perplexity has launched a new revenue-sharing program for publishers, a strategic move that comes as the company faces multiple lawsuits over alleged copyright infringement. The US-based startup will pay publishers when their content is used in its AI-powered search results and chatbot responses.
Key Highlights
The new program aims to create a formal partnership model with content creators:
- Revenue Share Model: Publishers will earn money when their articles appear in search queries, drive web traffic, or are used by Perplexity’s AI assistant.
- Funding Source: The program will be funded by Perplexity Pro (re-branded from Comet Plus), a premium subscription service.
- 80% Payout: Publishers will receive 80% of the revenue generated from the premium subscription.
- Ongoing Lawsuits: The initiative is launching while Perplexity is being sued by major publishers like Dow Jones for alleged copyright infringement.
A New Monetization Model for Publishers
Under the new program, publishers will earn revenue through a three-pronged approach: when their articles are featured in search results, when those results drive traffic to their websites, and when their content is used to inform answers provided by Perplexity’s AI assistant. The funds for these payments will be sourced from the company’s premium subscription, Perplexity Pro, with 80% of that revenue being distributed among the participating publishers. While Perplexity has not yet disclosed which specific publishers have joined the program, it has confirmed that talks are ongoing.
A Response to Industry Tensions
This move is widely seen as a response to growing legal and ethical pressure from the publishing industry. Perplexity is currently facing lawsuits from Dow Jones (publisher of The Wall Street Journal) and the New York Post, which allege that the AI company has infringed on their copyrights. Other outlets have also accused the company of using their content without permission. Additionally, Cloudflare has accused Perplexity of bypassing website protections to access data—a claim Perplexity disputes, arguing its assistant only accesses sites at the user’s request.
Looking Ahead
The launch of a revenue-sharing program is a significant step by an AI search company to formally acknowledge the value of the content it uses. The success of this model could set a new precedent for how AI firms and media companies collaborate. For the MENA region, where digital content creation is rapidly growing, such a model could eventually provide a new monetization path for local publishers and media outlets as AI search tools become more prevalent.
Source: Tech in Asia
