$20 billion Perplexity is making a big bet on ditching ads

$20 billion Perplexity is making a big bet on ditching ads

Perplexity CEO and cofounder Aravind Srinivas.Craig T Fruchtman/Getty ImagesPerplexity is the latest AI startup to move away from ads, while OpenAI goes all-in.Instead, Perplexity says it's doubling down on its paying users, such as businesses and CEOs.Perplexity says it will take monetization more seriously than it did in the past.Perplexity is going full steam ahead with subscriptions and business sales and plans to focus more on monetization …

Perplexity joins anti-ad camp as AI companies battle over trust and revenue

AI search startup Perplexity is distancing itself from ads amid fears users won't trust chatbots with an agenda to upsell. The move highlights an emerging crossroads for the AI industry as the sector's biggest players hunt for stable sources of income to bankroll massive spending, with giants like OpenAI leaning into ads and others like Anthropic promising to keep them out. Perplexity began phasing out ads late last year and isn't exploring any …

Perplexity says it has no plans to further pursue ads, which it introduced in 2024, after phasing them out late last year over fears they would erode user trust

Cristina Criddle / Financial Times: Perplexity says it has no plans to further pursue ads, which it introduced in 2024, after phasing them out late last year over fears they would erode user trust  —  Leading start-ups have recently embraced sponsors as they search for revenue  —  AI start-up Perplexity has abandoned advertising …