On July 22, 2024, media conglomerate Condé Nast sent a cease-and-desist letter to the AI-powered search startup Perplexity, a San Francisco-based AI startup. The letter demands that Perplexity halt the use of content sourced from Condé Nast publications in AI-generated responses.
This action follows a series of allegations of copyright infringement and plagiarism against AI companies, contributing significantly to the ongoing debate over the ethics of utilizing copyrighted material in artificial intelligence applications.
The cease-and-desist letter outlines specific concerns regarding the AI startup's reliance on articles from prestigious publications owned by Condé Nast, including titles such as The New Yorker, Vogue, and Wired.
Condé Nast's immediate demands from the startup include the cessation of unauthorized content use and reevaluating how Perplexity generates its digital responses. The media giant seeks to protect its intellectual property, asserting that companies should not profit from content they did not create or license.
However, Perplexity has also faced scrutiny over its business practices, particularly its content-sourcing methods. The company allegedly crawls websites without respecting the robots.txt file.—a web standard that allows website owners to block bots from stealing their content.
While there are critical voices towards Perplexity, other AI companies have similarly been accused of violating copyright laws by using unauthorized content to train their models. In June 2024, Forbes took similar legal actions against the firm, signaling a growing frustration among publishers regarding the widespread exploitation of their intellectual property.
Despite the controversies, Perplexity has suggested establishing a revenue-sharing program with publishers, although the details and feasibility of such a plan remain unclear.
Broader Implications for AI and Copyright Laws
For content creators, filing accusations of plagiarism not only costs a great deal of money for publications but also poses a threat to their livelihoods. Legal experts suggest that the fallout from this controversy may lead to changes in copyright regulations aimed at better protecting the rights of content creators against unauthorized use by AI systems.
Responses to the cease-and-desist letter from Condé Nast have been mixed among tech and media leaders. While some support Condé Nast's stance, emphasizing the necessity of protecting intellectual property, others view the heightened scrutiny as an impediment to innovation in AI technology.
More legislations are required to join this game. With initiatives such as the COPIED Act being created, there will be more legal frameworks to safeguard the interests of artists, journalists, and other content creators. The COPIED Act aims to establish legal frameworks that ensure fair compensation and recognition for original work used by AI companies in their models.