Perplexity AI is launching a revenue-sharing program for publishers as it faces criticism and lawsuits over the use of media content in its AI search results. The company has set aside $42.5 million for the program. This will allow publishers to earn money when their content drives traffic or is used in search results and tasks through Perplexity’s Comet browser and AI assistant.

Revenue will come from Comet Plus, a new $5 monthly subscription. Publishers will receive 80% of the revenue, while Perplexity keeps 20%. CEO Aravind Srinivas said the goal is to ensure publishers get paid while AI improves online experiences.

Perplexity has previously partnered with outlets like Time and Fortune on ad-revenue sharing. However, it also faces lawsuits from Dow Jones and the New York Post for alleged copyright violations. It has also been accused by Cloudflare of bypassing protections to access content. Perplexity denies this charge, saying its AI only fetches data at a user’s request.

The startup recently raised $100 million at an $18 billion valuation. It even made a $34.5 billion offer to acquire Google’s Chrome browser. This came amid speculation that Google may be forced to sell it in US antitrust proceedings.

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