Perplexity Launches Subscription Program That Includes Revenue Sharing With Publishers

An anonymous reader quotes a report from PYMNTS: Artificial intelligence startup Perplexity has announced a new subscription program called Comet Plus that it said gives users access to premium content from trusted publishers and journalists, while providing publishers with a better compensation model. "Comet Plus transforms how publishers are compensated in the AI age," the company said in a Monday blog post. "As users demand a better internet in the age of AI, it's time for a business model to ensure that publishers and journalists benefit from their contributions to a better internet."

Comet Plus is included in Perplexity's Pro and Max memberships and is available as a standalone subscription for $5 per month. Perplexity introduced its Comet AI-powered browser in July, saying the tool lets users answer questions and carry out tasks and research from a single interface. Bloomberg reported Monday that Perplexity has allocated $42.5 million for a revenue sharing program that compensates publishers when their content is used by its Comet browser or AI assistant. The program will use funds that come from Comet Plus and will deliver 80% of the revenue to publishers, with Perplexity getting the other 20%, the report said, citing an interview with Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas. "AI is helping to create a better internet, but publishers still need to get paid," Srinivas said in the report. "Sowe think this is actually the right solution, and we're happy to make adjustments along the way."

AI is creating a better internet

[wed128]

I really need some qualifications on "a better internet". An internet that's full of soulless slop and questionable information, maybe.

Re:

[nightflameauto]

I really need some qualifications on "a better internet". An internet that's full of soulless slop and questionable information, maybe.

AI is creating a more monetized internet. Whereas you used to be able to search published content from a variety of sources and get a result that would give you actual information, now you can pay a corporate entity to consume *ALL* the content, filter it, segregate it, and feed you the properly filtered response whether it's weighted the way you would hope or not. But at least you've paid another entity to do all the "hard work" that used to take a few seconds of perusing the first page or two of the searc

Re:

[wed128]

I feel like there's a market gap for a "no-ai" search engine; just behave like google did in the "don't be evil" days, and i feel like it would get very popular very quickly.

Funny! Just glanced at this!

[oldgraybeard]

Perplexity's AI Browser Comet Vulnerable To Prompt Injection Attacks That Hijack User Accounts [slashdot.org]

Great idea, in theory

[MpVpRb]

Quality content is expensive to create and crap is abundant and free
Creators of quality stuff deserve to be paid
It will be interesting to see how this idea works in practice

Re:

[martin-boundary]

Nice house you got there, it would be a shame if it got broken into by homeless people and squatters. I know some people who can go in and charge the intruders rent. If you keep quiet about it, you can take some of the rent money for yourself.