AI startup Perplexity is expanding its revenue-sharing programme to include its Comet web browser, according to reports. This means that media publishers and websites will now earn a share of revenue when their content is used by Comet’s AI search or browsing features.
Expansion of Programme
Perplexity first announced a revenue-sharing plan in July 2024, which paid publishers whenever their content appeared in its AI answer engine. Now, the company will also pay publishers when their content is shown in Comet’s AI searches, when bots scrape their sites, or when the browser’s AI agent completes an action using their content.
Funding and Subscription Model
To fund this, Perplexity has reportedly created a $42.5 million (about Rs. 372.5 crore) pool. The money comes from Comet Plus, a new paid subscription tier for the browser. Comet Plus costs $5 (around Rs. 440) per month and offers access to curated content from participating publishers.
CEO Aravind Srinivas told Bloomberg that while AI is shaping a better internet, publishers must also be compensated. He said the company is willing to make changes to ensure the system works fairly.
Talks With Publishers
Perplexity has not revealed which publishers have officially joined the programme. However, the company’s head of publisher partnerships, Jessica Chan, said discussions are ongoing with well-known outlets like Time and Fortune. Chan also criticised the traditional web traffic–based ad revenue model, calling it outdated, and stressed the need for a new standard of compensation.
Legal Hurdles
This expansion comes as Perplexity faces legal trouble in Japan. Two major newspapers, Asahi Shimbun and Nikkei, have filed a lawsuit in the Tokyo District Court, accusing Perplexity of copyright infringement. They allege that the company illegally reproduces their articles and have demanded an injunction, along with JPY 2.2 billion (about Rs. 130.5 crore) in damages for each publisher.
Conclusion
With this move, Perplexity is trying to build a more balanced relationship between AI companies and media outlets. But as lawsuits highlight concerns over unauthorised data use, the success of this new model will depend on how publishers respond.
