Perplexity, an AI chatbot, is set to launch a revenue-sharing program with web publishers in the coming month. This program will involve running advertising alongside search queries on the Perplexity platform. Dmitry Shevelenko, the chief business officer at Perplexity, mentioned that this revenue-sharing initiative is unique in that publishers who contribute source inputs for answers that are monetized through advertising will receive a share of the revenue generated. This program will not only apply to paid Perplexity Pro offerings but also to any links and ads displayed on the free Perplexity option.
The idea of running ads alongside question-and-answer results was first discussed in April, with Shevelenko stating that advertising on the platform would commence in the upcoming quarter. The revenue-sharing program is expected to kick off with top-tier publishers and will be open to individuals with WordPress websites or newsletters, not just limited to media organizations. However, specific details about the program and the initial publishing partners were not disclosed by the company.
Despite its success and recent valuation as a unicorn startup, Perplexity has faced criticism, including a lawsuit from Forbes for alleged copyright infringement. The company has also been accused of disregarding opt-outs in Wired magazine’s robot.txt file. Additionally, reports suggest that chatbots like Perplexity may inadvertently create links to information or news stories without proper attribution.
Shevelenko dismissed these criticisms, emphasizing that Perplexity has always included source links on answers and has been working on the revenue-sharing program prior to the negative reports. He highlighted that issues related to aggregation, sourcing, and citing have existed long before AI technology and remain essential in content creation. Unlike some AI models, Perplexity does not train its own foundation model by scraping the internet for data but focuses on providing accurate and sourced information to users.
In conclusion, Perplexity’s upcoming revenue-sharing program with web publishers aims to incentivize content creators and promote a fair distribution of revenue generated through advertising on the platform. Despite facing challenges and criticism, the company remains committed to enhancing its features and ensuring that accurate sourcing and attribution are prioritized in its operations.
