Chicago Tribune files a lawsuit against Perplexity

The Chicago Tribune has launched a federal lawsuit against the AI-powered search engine Perplexity, accusing it of copyright violations. The case was filed in New York and outlines claims that the AI service is improperly using the newspapers content.

According to the complaint, the Tribune contacted Perplexity in mid-October to inquire whether its articles were being utilized by the AI. Perplexitys legal team responded that their models were not trained on Tribune material but acknowledged that the system might generate factual summaries based on Tribune reporting. The newspaper contends, however, that the AI reproduces its content word-for-word.

The lawsuit specifically highlights Perplexitys use of Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), a method designed to improve accuracy by relying on verified sources. The Tribune asserts that its content is being incorporated into RAG without permission. The complaint also claims that Perplexitys Comet browser circumvents the Tribunes paywall to produce detailed article summaries.

This legal action follows previous lawsuits filed by the Tribune and other MediaNews Group and Tribune Publishing outlets against OpenAI and Microsoft earlier this year concerning the use of news material in AI model training. Additional lawsuits were filed in November by other publishers against AI developers and cloud service providers.

Perplexity has not yet responded to the Tribunes allegations or to requests for comment. The company is facing similar litigation from Reddit and Dow Jones. Amazon also issued a cease-and-desist letter regarding AI-assisted shopping, though it has not filed a formal lawsuit.

Author's Analysis: Implications of the Chicago Tribune Lawsuit Against Perplexity

The recent lawsuit filed by the Chicago Tribune against Perplexity highlights growing tensions between traditional media and AI developers. The Tribune alleges that Perplexity's AI is reproducing its content without authorization, particularly through the use of Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) and the Comet browser, which bypasses paywalls to summarize articles.

This case is part of a broader pattern of legal challenges targeting AI models that utilize news content. Earlier this year, the Tribune and other MediaNews Group outlets filed similar lawsuits against OpenAI and Microsoft. These actions underscore publishers' concerns about the unauthorized use of proprietary material and the potential financial and reputational impact of AI-generated summaries.

Perplexity's acknowledgment that its AI may generate factual summaries based on Tribune reporting raises critical questions about the boundaries between data analysis and copyright infringement. With multiple ongoing litigations from Reddit, Dow Jones, and actions from Amazon, the legal landscape for AI content generation is becoming increasingly complex.

Ultimately, this lawsuit could set important precedents regarding AI access to copyrighted news material and the responsibilities of AI developers in respecting content ownership.

Sources:

• Chicago Tribune sues Perplexity