New York Times vs Perplexity: AI Can Mislead You and Even Feed You Copied Content

By Epiphanus Obia

The New York Times is suing a major AI startup, Perplexity, accusing it of copying millions of its articles without permission. The newspaper claims Perplexity used these articles to power its AI tools, which answer questions and provide information to users.

This lawsuit comes more than a year after the Times sent Perplexity a warning to stop using its content. Now, the newspaper is asking for damages and a court order to prevent Perplexity from continuing what it calls “unauthorised use” of its work.

The New York Times also raised another concern: Perplexity’s AI sometimes creates information that isn’t true, yet presents it alongside the newspaper’s name. This could confuse readers into thinking the fake content came from the Times.

“This is about using our work responsibly,” said NYT spokesperson Graham James. “We believe in ethical AI, but Perplexity is using our content without permission to develop and promote its products.”

Perplexity, on the other hand, says it’s not copying content to train its AI, but simply indexing web pages to provide answers. The company dismisses the lawsuits as an attempt by publishers to slow down new technologies.

This isn’t the first time Perplexity has faced legal trouble. Other publishers, including the Chicago Tribune and Reddit, have also filed lawsuits, accusing the startup of using their content without permission.

For everyday users, the case highlights a growing risk: AI tools might give answers that are copied from copyrighted sources or even include false information. It’s a reminder that not everything an AI says is automatically true—and not all the content it uses comes legally.

The lawsuit also shows the tension between traditional media companies and AI startups trying to grow fast in a competitive market. As the battle unfolds in court, it could shape how AI tools use online content in the future.