BBC threatens AI firm with legal action
AI company 'undermining trust in the BBC'
The BBC has written to Perplexity, which is based in the US, demanding it immediately stop using BBC content.
The BBC is threatening to take legal action against an artificial intelligence (AI) firm whose chatbot the corporation says is reproducing BBC content "verbatim" without its permission.
The BBC has written to Perplexity, which is based in the US, demanding it immediately stops using BBC content, deletes any it holds, and proposes financial compensation for the material it has already used.
It is the first time that the BBC - one of the world's largest news organisations - has taken such action against an AI company.
In a statement, Perplexity said: "The BBC's claims are just one more part of the overwhelming evidence that the BBC will do anything to preserve Google's illegal monopoly."
It did not explain what it believed the relevance of Google was to the BBC's position, or offer any further comment.
Copyright laws breached
The BBC's legal threat has been made in a letter to Perplexity's boss Aravind Srinivas.
"This constitutes copyright infringement in the UK and breach of the BBC's terms of use," the letter says.
The BBC also cited its research published earlier this year that found four popular AI chatbots - including Perplexity AI - were inaccurately summarising news stories, including some BBC content.
Pointing to findings of significant issues with representation of BBC content in some Perplexity AI responses analysed, it said such output fell short of BBC Editorial Guidelines around the provision of impartial and accurate news.
"It is therefore highly damaging to the BBC, injuring the BBC's reputation with audiences - including UK licence fee payers who fund the BBC - and undermining their trust in the BBC," it added.
The BBC has written to Perplexity, which is based in the US, demanding it immediately stops using BBC content, deletes any it holds, and proposes financial compensation for the material it has already used.
It is the first time that the BBC - one of the world's largest news organisations - has taken such action against an AI company.
In a statement, Perplexity said: "The BBC's claims are just one more part of the overwhelming evidence that the BBC will do anything to preserve Google's illegal monopoly."
It did not explain what it believed the relevance of Google was to the BBC's position, or offer any further comment.
Copyright laws breached
The BBC's legal threat has been made in a letter to Perplexity's boss Aravind Srinivas.
"This constitutes copyright infringement in the UK and breach of the BBC's terms of use," the letter says.
The BBC also cited its research published earlier this year that found four popular AI chatbots - including Perplexity AI - were inaccurately summarising news stories, including some BBC content.
Pointing to findings of significant issues with representation of BBC content in some Perplexity AI responses analysed, it said such output fell short of BBC Editorial Guidelines around the provision of impartial and accurate news.
"It is therefore highly damaging to the BBC, injuring the BBC's reputation with audiences - including UK licence fee payers who fund the BBC - and undermining their trust in the BBC," it added.
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