Amazon is looking into whether Perplexity AI improperly harvested online content

Amazon is looking into allegations that artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI is scraping content — including from major news sites — without approval.

Amazon spokeswoman Samantha Mayowa confirmed on Friday that the tech giant was evaluating information it received from news outlet WIRED, which published an investigation earlier this month that said Perplexity appeared to scrape content from websites that prohibited access to such practices. Perplexity uses servers from Amazon Web Services, also known as AWS.

Amazon’s “terms of service prohibit abusive and illegal activities and our customers are responsible for complying with these terms,” Mayowa said in a prepared statement. “We routinely receive reports of alleged abuse from a variety of sources and engage our clients to understand these reports.”

The San Francisco-based AI research startup has been the darling of prominent tech investors, including heavyweights like Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. But in recent weeks, the company has found itself in trouble amid accusations of plagiarism.

Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas offered a robust defense of the startup after it published a news summary with information and writing similar to a Forbes investigative story. He did so without mentioning the media outlet or asking for their authorization. Forbes later said it found similar stories taken from other publications.

Separately, the Associated Press found another Perplexity product invented fake quotes of real people.

Srinivas said in an interview with the AP earlier this month that his company “has never stolen content from anyone. Our engine doesn’t train based on anyone else’s content,” in part because the company is simply aggregating what other companies’ AI systems generate.

But, he added, “it was accurately pointed out by Forbes that they preferred more prominent font prominence.” He said sources are now highlighted more prominently.

A spokesperson for Perplexity did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the AWS investigation.

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AP reporters Matt O’Brien and Sarah Parvini contributed to this report.