(qlmbusinessnews.com . Mon 23rd Jun, 2025) London, UK —
AI Controversy Heats Up: BBC Demands Reparations from US-Based Perplexity
The Reporters is contemplating legal proceedings against a US-based artificial intelligence (AI) firm, Perplexity, accusing it of replicating its content word-for-word without authorisation.
In a firm stance, the British broadcaster has issued a formal notice to Perplexity, urging an immediate halt in the usage of its content, along with the eradication of any stored Reporters material, and is seeking monetary recompense for the already utilised content.
This marks a pioneering move by the Reporters, recognised globally as a leading news entity, in initiating legal action against an AI entity.
Perplexity, in response, has stated, “The allegations by the Reporters are a testament to the overwhelming evidence of the Reporters’s efforts to safeguard Google’s unlawful dominance.” The firm, however, did not elaborate on how Google's operations relate to the Reporters’s claims and refrained from further comments.
The legal notice dispatched to Aravind Srinivas, head of Perplexity, underlines the acts as a violation of UK's copyright laws and an infringement of the Reporters's usage terms.
The broadcaster also referenced a study it conducted earlier in the year, which revealed that four notable AI chatbots, including Perplexity AI, were inaccurately summarising news pieces, with some instances involving the Reporters’s content.
The Reporters has criticised the inaccuracies in Perplexity’s AI-driven summaries, stating these misrepresentations fail to meet its editorial standards, thereby potentially harming the trust and reputation the corporation holds with its audience, particularly those contributing through the UK license fee.
The issue of web scraping – the process through which vast amounts of data are extracted from websites by bots and crawlers – has come under the spotlight with the growing popularity and sophistication of AI-driven chatbots since OpenAI's introduction of ChatGPT.
This increasing wave of content extraction without permission has raised alarms about copyright protections, prompting British media outlets to call upon the government to safeguard copyrighted works more stringently.
In light of the Reporters's legal action, the Professional Publishers Association (PPA), representing over 300 media organisations, expressed grave concerns over AI platforms bypassing UK copyright laws by unlawfully mining publisher’s content to enhance their models without consent or compensation. Such practices pose a direct risk to the £4.4 billion publishing sector and its workforce of 55,000, according to the PPA.
Despite efforts by many, including the Reporters, to deter unauthorised data mining through the use of “robots.txt” files on their websites, compliance is not mandatory, and some crawlers reportedly disregard these instructions.
Perplexity’s leadership refuted claims of ignoring “robots.txt” directives in a past statement to Fast Company. Moreover, the company distinguishes itself by stating it doesn’t construct foundational models that require pre-training with web content.
Describing itself as an “answer engine,” Perplexity AI has gained traction among users seeking response to queries, promising to derive concise, up-to-date answers from reliable web sources. Yet, it advises users to verify the accuracy of its responses, echoing a common caution about potential inaccuracies in AI chatbot outputs.
This legal stance by the Reporters follows a recent incident where Apple had to suspend an AI feature on the Reporters News app that inadvertently generated incorrect headlines, upon the broadcaster’s complaints.
This News Story is brought to you by QLM Business News, your Digital Media Channel.
Visit QLM businessnews.com for more business news stories. Also follow us on Facebook, X, and Youtube.
To help QLM Business News bring you more news stories like this, please like, share, and subscribe.
Unlock unparalleled business growth and effortlessly attract a stream of new customers through QLM Business News Sponsored Advertising. Elevate your brand's presence and captivate your target audience with precision. Visit QLMbusinessnews.com and click on “Advertise” to harness the power of strategic advertising. Don't miss this unparalleled opportunity to propel your business to new heights of success!
Disclaimer: All images presented herein are intended solely for illustrative purposes and may not accurately depict the true likeness of the subjects, objects, or individuals referenced in the accompanying news stories.
