Amazon is investigating claims that the AI startup Perplexity AI has improperly scraped content from various websites, including prominent news sites, without permission. Samantha Mayowa, an Amazon spokesperson, confirmed that Amazon is examining information from a WIRED investigation, which suggested that Perplexity had accessed content from websites that prohibited such activities. Perplexity uses Amazon Web Services (AWS) for its servers.
Sara Platnick, a spokesperson for Perplexity, asserted that the company has verified its services do not violate AWS terms of service.
Perplexity, a San Francisco-based AI search startup, has attracted investment from prominent tech figures, including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. However, the company has recently faced accusations of plagiarism. CEO Aravind Srinivas defended the startup after it published a summarized news story similar to a Forbes article without proper citation or permission. Forbes later found other instances of similar “knock-off” stories from other publications.
Additionally, The Associated Press reported that another Perplexity product fabricated quotes from real people. Srinivas stated in an interview with AP that Perplexity “never ripped off content from anybody” and does not train its engine on others’ content. However, he acknowledged the need for more prominent source citation as pointed out by Forbes, and noted that sources are now highlighted more prominently.
