Amazon investigates if Perplexity AI improperly scraped online content

Amazon Investigates Perplexity AI for Unauthorized Content Scraping

Amazon is currently examining claims that Perplexity AI, an artificial intelligence startup, has been scraping content from various websites, including prominent news sites, without proper authorization. This review follows an investigation by WIRED, published earlier this month, which alleged that Perplexity had been collecting content from websites that explicitly restricted such activities.

According to Amazon spokesperson Samantha Mayowa, the tech giant is scrutinizing the information provided by WIRED. Mayowa emphasized that Amazon Web Services (AWS), which hosts Perplexity’s servers, has strict terms of service that prohibit abusive and illegal activities, and it is the responsibility of AWS customers to comply with these terms. She added, "We routinely receive reports of alleged abuse from a variety of sources and engage our customers to understand those reports.”

Perplexity AI, based in San Francisco, has garnered significant attention and investment from major tech figures, including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. However, the startup has recently faced allegations of plagiarism. One notable incident involved Perplexity publishing a summarized news story that closely mirrored a Forbes investigative article without proper citation or permissions. Forbes identified other instances where its content had been similarly reproduced by Perplexity.

Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas has staunchly defended the startup, asserting in an interview that the company “never ripped off content from anybody." He clarified that their AI engine aggregates information generated by other companies' AI systems and does not train on external content. Despite this, Srinivas acknowledged Forbes' concerns and noted that the company now highlights sources more prominently in response to criticism.

As of now, a spokesperson for Perplexity has not commented on the AWS investigation.