CNN Attacks Perplexity: AI Accused of Massive Plagiarism

CNN vs. Perplexity: A Legal Battle Over Content

CNN has recently filed a lawsuit against the startup Perplexity, accusing its artificial intelligence tools of fully copying its articles. The complaint, filed in a New York court, claims that Perplexity reproduces subscription-protected content without permission or compensation.

Perplexity, which develops an AI-based response engine and the AI browser Comet, is accused of failing to block crawlers that illegally extract CNN's content. According to the complaint, content created by journalists is used without permission by Perplexity.

Explicit Plagiarism Allegations

One example cited in the complaint shows that Perplexity's search tool allegedly generated substantial passages from a CNN article simply by using its title. This case adds to a series of similar complaints filed by other major companies such as The New York Times, Encyclopedia Britannica, Merriam-Webster, and News Corp, the parent company of the Wall Street Journal.

Failed Negotiations and Legal Action

CNN had initially considered offering its content through Perplexity's Comet Plus subscription in October 2025. However, discussions fell through, particularly due to disagreements over Perplexity's use of CNN's content. After the cancellation of the agreement in November, CNN demanded that Perplexity stop using its content without authorization, a request that went unanswered.

CNN is now seeking damages and a permanent halt to what it deems illegal practices by Perplexity. In response, Jesse Dwyer, a spokesperson for Perplexity, stated that facts cannot be protected by copyright.