Chicago Tribune Sues Perplexity AI Over Alleged Copyright Infringement

The Chicago Tribune has filed a federal lawsuit against the artificial intelligence search company Perplexity. The legal action was filed in a New York court on Thursday. It accuses Perplexity of systematically scraping and republishing the newspaper’s copyrighted content.According to the complaint seen by TechCrunch, this represents a significant new front in the legal battle between publishers and AI firms. The Tribune claims Perplexity is using its articles without permission or payment.

Legal Complaint Details RAG Technology and Paywall Bypass

The lawsuit presents specific technical allegations. It claims Perplexity’s “Retrieval Augmented Generation” (RAG) systems are using Tribune content as a verified data source. This method is designed to reduce AI hallucinations by grounding responses in accurate information.However, the Tribune argues this use is unauthorized. The complaint also targets Perplexity’s “Comet” browser agent. It alleges this tool bypasses the newspaper’s paywall to access full articles. Summaries of this content are then delivered to users.This case differs from prior lawsuits focused solely on AI model training. Here, the focus is on real-time content use. The Tribune states its lawyers contacted Perplexity in October. The AI company reportedly denied training models on Tribune work but acknowledged it “may receive” factual summaries.

Broader Industry Impact and Legal Precedent

This lawsuit is part of a much larger pattern. The Chicago Tribune is one of 17 MediaNews Group and Tribune Publishing papers that sued OpenAI and Microsoft in April. Another group of nine filed a similar suit in November. The industry is mounting a coordinated legal defense.The outcome could set a crucial precedent. It may define the legal boundaries for how AI search tools ingest and display real-time web content. A ruling against Perplexity could force AI companies to negotiate licensing deals with publishers. This would reshape their business models and operational costs.For consumers, it highlights ongoing tensions between innovation and intellectual property. The case questions how much copyrighted material AI can freely use to answer queries. Its resolution will influence the future of AI-powered search and news accessibility.

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This new Perplexity AI lawsuit underscores the escalating conflict between content creators and AI platforms. The court’s decision could fundamentally alter how artificial intelligence interacts with the modern news ecosystem.

A quick knowledge drop for you

What is the Chicago Tribune accusing Perplexity of doing?

The Tribune alleges Perplexity scraped its copyrighted articles without permission. It claims the AI’s systems bypass paywalls and use content in its RAG technology to generate summaries for users.

How is this lawsuit different from other AI copyright cases?

Many previous lawsuits focused on unauthorized use of content for training AI models. This case centers on the alleged real-time scraping and republishing of news content through Perplexity’s search and browsing tools.

What is Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG)?

RAG is a method AI uses to pull information from specific, external sources to answer questions. It’s meant to improve accuracy. The Tribune argues its content is being used as one of these sources without consent.

Has Perplexity commented on the lawsuit?

As of the initial reporting, Perplexity has not publicly commented on the specific allegations. The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the Chicago Tribune or TechCrunch.

Are other publishers involved in similar legal actions?

Yes. The Chicago Tribune’s parent company is part of larger groups that have filed separate lawsuits against OpenAI and Microsoft. Other entities like Reddit and Dow Jones have also taken legal action against AI firms.

What could be the potential outcome of this case?

The case could force AI companies to obtain licenses for real-time content use. A ruling against Perplexity might require significant changes to how AI search engines gather and present information from news websites.