Amazon is assessing whether Perplexity AI inappropriately scraped online material

Amazon is assessing whether Perplexity AI inappropriately scraped online material



Amazon is investigating allegations that artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI is scraping content from major news sites without permission. The tech giant is looking into information provided by WIRED, which published an investigation showing that Perplexity was scraping content from banned websites using AWS servers. Perplexity denies violating AWS’s terms of service.

Despite being backed by prominent tech investors like Jeff Bezos, Perplexity is facing accusations of plagiarism. The CEO, Aravind Srinivas, defended the startup after publishing a news story similar to a Forbes article without permission or attribution. Forbes later found other instances of what they called “copycat” stories from Perplexity.

Additionally, The Associated Press discovered fake quotes attributed to real people in another Perplexity product. Srinivas insisted that his company does not copy content from others and that their AI engine is not trained on anyone else’s content. However, he acknowledged that they have made changes to highlight fonts more prominently following feedback from Forbes.

Amazon spokesperson Samantha Mayowa stated that their terms of service prohibit abusive and illegal activities, and customers are responsible for complying with them. They are investigating the reports of abuse and engaging with clients to understand the situation.

In conclusion, Perplexity AI is under scrutiny for allegedly scraping content without approval and engaging in plagiarism. The company denies violating terms of service but has made changes to address concerns raised by news outlets. The situation highlights the ethical considerations and challenges of using AI for content aggregation and creation.

Article Source
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/amazon-reviewing-whether-perplexity-ai-211106751.html