Perplexity Meets the Press: A Comedy of Errors?
Ah, Perplexity—sounds like a witty British sitcom where a tech CEO accidentally signs a “dude, let’s collab” agreement while thinking he’s just ordering a latte! Is it media frenzy or just another dose of corporate convolutions? Enter Aravind Srinivas, the optimistic captain of this generative AI ship, trying to engage with media moguls who are currently clutching their rights like a toddler with a cookie.
Generative AI: The Frankenstein’s Monster of Media
Generative AI isn’t just knocking on the media’s door; it’s trying to get in, fix itself a drink, and rearrange all the furniture, all while you’re trying to have a quiet evening. And who could blame the media for crying foul? It’s as if your overenthusiastic neighbor decides to offer “help” for your dinner party and ends up cooking spaghetti in the washing machine. Perplexity thinks collaboration is the way forward, but can it charm the big players?
Surprise, Surprise! The CEO is Surprised!
Here’s a twist: Aravind Srinivas, the shockingly optimistic CEO, expressed being “very surprised” at the media’s grumbles during a tech conference. I mean, who knew that trying to monetize someone’s hard work could be a touchy subject? It’s like asking a cat if you can take a selfie with it—generally, it results in claws out and not a lot of happiness.
Profitability: The Holy Grail
Launched with the kind of backing that would make your local start-up green with envy (thanks, Jeff Bezos!), Perplexity ambitiously aims to break even in a few years. Three to five years—cue the eye-roll. It’s like saying you’re going to get fit after the New Year’s resolutions… year after year.
Interestingly, they expect to go from 500 million requests in 2023 to a stellar 350 million by September alone! I didn’t realize falling short was a growth strategy. Curious if this is the kind of math they teach in Silicon Valley?
The Search for a Business Model
Perplexity is pulling a “Spotify” here, hoping for advertising revenues—a concept as novel as two-for-one deals at a local pub. Yet, Aravind wants to actually give some of that dough back to content creators. It’s almost heartfelt, as if he’s trying to prove he’s not just another tech bro. But how? Like offering a fair share of the pizza after eating twelve slices? Let’s see if that kindness extends to the press.
I would rather find a model that we can grow with together, in which our financial success rewards (the content producers), than try to solve my only problem by buying the rights to this content and moving on.
Intellectual Property: A Creative Conundrum
Oh, the age-old debate buzzing around like a wasp at your picnic! Creative folks everywhere are sweating buckets over how this AI juggernaut will affect their intellectual property. Want to sell your art or writing? Step right up, but don’t forget to brandish a copyright like it’s your prized sword! A landscape of unresolved legalities—it’s the kind of place even Indiana Jones wouldn’t dare to tread.
Will AI Replace Journalists or Help Them?
And then there’s the age-old question: Will journalists be replaced or will AI serve as a helpful sidekick? Will it be ‘trusty data buddy’ or ‘that annoying intern who brings their cat to work’? It seems Aravind believes AI needs to cozy up to quality journalism like a good red wine with a hearty steak. Good luck with that; they say it’s hard to define quality in a world where ‘fake news’ lives rent-free in people’s heads!
Towards Augmented Journalism?
Some experts claim we could see “augmented” media, where AI does the grunt work while journalists get to flex their creative muscles. Imagine if AI could handle:
- Automatic comment moderation
- Personalized user experiences
- Hands off for “convenience” content like the weather report
- Article recommendations (because you just need to know about crackers in space)
- Detecting trends—well, that should be fun!
But for this little harmony to blossom, it seems everyone’s financial interests need to align. In short, straightforward discussions are lurking just beneath the corporate veneer.
Will the hopes of Perplexity and press publishers coalesce into something commercially viable? Or will it end up like a bad Tinder date—promising but ultimately left on read? Only time will tell if they can find common ground out here in the wacky world of AI!
Generative AI startup Perplexity wants to collaborate with media outlets on their content, despite recent complaints. Its CEO wants to find a win-win model inspired by Spotify, but will he be able to convince the press giants?
Generative artificial intelligence is disrupting many sectors, and the media is no exception. Perplexity, a young American start-up in this field, is learning the hard way that collaborating with press giants is not easy. However, its founder does not lose hope and wishes to establish win-win commercial partnerships.
Perplexity in the media viewfinder
Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity, said he was “very surprised” by these complaints during a tech conference. According to him, his company wanted to establish a dialogue with the media concerned to find common ground. Obviously, the current has not yet passed between the two parties.
Medium-term profitability ambitions
Launched at the end of 2022 with the support of Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, Perplexity uses generative AI to offer a conversational assistant and a new generation search engine. If it is not yet profitable, the platform aims to break even within 3 to 5 years according to its manager. A horizon that seems distant in the world of start-ups, but Perplexity can count on rapid growth, going from 500 million requests in 2023 to 350 million in September alone.
Finding the right business model
To generate revenue, Perplexity plans to rely on advertising, like Google. But Aravind Srinivas assures that he wants to return part of the advertising revenue to content publishers, drawing inspiration from Spotify’s model with the music industry. An outstretched hand that remains to be realized.
I would rather find a model that we can grow with together, in which our financial success rewards (the content producers), than try to solve my only problem by buying the rights to this content and moving on.
Aravind Srinivas, PDG de Perplexity
The manager therefore seems to favor a long-term partnership approach with the media, rather than a one-off purchase of rights. But the precise terms of such a collaboration remain to be defined, and must respond to the legitimate concerns of publishers about the use of their content.
The difficult equation of intellectual property
Beyond media, many creative professions are wondering how to protect their intellectual property in the face of the rise of generative AI, from visual artists to writers. If safeguards are starting to emerge, such as the obligation to mention the use of AI in images, the legal and ethical framework is still largely to be constructed in this area.
What place for AI in the media?
Beyond questions of intellectual property, the emergence of generative AI in the media sphere raises questions about the future of the profession of journalist. Can tools like Perplexity really produce reliable, quality information? Or do they, on the contrary, risk propagating approximations and biases on a large scale?
For Aravind Srinivas, the success of Perplexity is inseparable from a “thriving ecosystem for quality journalism”. In other words, generative AI would need solid media to flourish without drift. It remains to be seen what place human journalists will have in this equation.
Towards media “augmented” by AI?
Rather than an AI that would replace journalists, some foresee “augmented” media where artificial intelligence would relieve editorial staff of tedious tasks to allow them to devote themselves to the heart of their profession. For example :
- Automatic comment moderation
- Personalization of the user experience
- The generation of “convenience” content (summaries, weather, etc.)
- Interest-based article recommendations
- Detecting emerging topics from data
But for this complementarity between AI and journalists to bear fruit, their economic interests must be aligned. This is what is at stake in the discussions taking place between players like Perplexity and press publishers. The future will tell whether they manage to agree on a new model for creating and disseminating information in the age of artificial intelligence.
