This is a first that is sure to spark a reaction. Perplexity, the AI-powered search engine, has just announced in a blog post that it will experiment with advertising on its platform starting this week. Let’s take stock.
Sponsored answers
Concretely, this initiative is only launched in the United States. Ads will appear as “sponsored follow-up questions”. The platform cites the example: “how can I use Indeed to boost my job search?” ». Advertisers will thus be positioned alongside the AI responses with a “sponsored” mention.
The company justifies itself:
Advertising programs like this help us generate revenue to share with our publishing partners. Experience has taught us that subscriptions alone do not generate enough revenue to create a sustainable revenue sharing program. Advertising is the best way to ensure a stable and scalable income stream.
Knowing the subject of confidentiality and private life is very sensitive, Perplexity wants to show its credentials. Its clients will never have access to users’ personal data. The startup adds: “These advertisements will not change our commitment to maintaining a trusted service that provides you with direct and unbiased answers to your questions. »
AI giants hesitant about advertising
The fact remains that this subject is very sensitive in this sector and not everyone makes this choice. For example, OpenAI has clearly decided not to add advertising with its new SearchGPT AI. Both Google and Microsoft have been testing ad formats with their tools, but they are also proceeding very cautiously.
As recalled TechcrunchPerplexity is being sued by several American media who accuse it of plagiarizing its content without their consent. This is how it is New York Postwhile the New York Times recently sent a formal notice to the company. It remains to be seen whether this bad press will dissuade potential customers from trusting it.
In any case, the American company has been eyeing the advertising market for several months. Last month, she explained: “40% of requests made on our platform give rise to additional questions. This represents an opportunity for advertisers to capture the attention of users at the precise moment they are looking for information.. Enough to convince those interested to join it. To find out more, do not hesitate to consult our previous article on this subject here.
