CNN Sues Perplexity Over Unlawful Distribution of Copyrighted Content

US news network CNN has filed a lawsuit against artificial intelligence company Perplexity, accusing it of unlawfully distributing CNN's copyrighted content, in the latest legal confrontation between major media organisations and generative AI companies.

CNN alleged in its complaint that Perplexity copied thousands of the network's news articles, video clips, and images and used them to operate its products without obtaining prior permission or a licence.

Perplexity, which bills itself as an AI-powered search engine, is among the most prominent startups in the sector and has previously faced similar allegations from other media outlets over the redistribution of their journalistic content.

The lawsuit adds to a mounting wave of legal actions filed by media organisations against AI companies, amid a widening dispute over whether those companies may use published media content to train their models and operate their services without the consent of intellectual property rights holders.