Perplexity AI has entered into a multi-year licensing partnership with Getty Images that will give its users access to the latter’s extensive image library. Leveraging Getty’s API, Perplexity will integrate the visual media distributor’s massive collection of stock and editorial images into its AI search and discovery tools, with correct attribution a key part of the deal.
In a , Getty said that Perplexity “will make improvements to the way it displays images, including image credit with a link to the source, to better inform users on how to legally use licensed images.” As generative AI tools become more widely accessible, thorny questions around copyright and attribution have been the cause of a number of lawsuits, including many targeting Perplexity.
As of August, the company was run by two Japanese media groups, Nikkei And Asahi Shimbunfor allegedly illegally copying and storing article content from the pair’s servers, as well as crediting them with inaccurate information provided by Perplexity. It was also one of four companies sued earlier this month for allegedly using scraped data without the proper license. Even the dictionary took the AI company to court.
Getty itself clashed with AI several times before striking its new deal with Perplexity. In 2022, the company outright generated AI-generated art on its platform due to legal murkiness around copyright, and later used AI art tool Stable Diffusion to allegedly copy and process millions of copyrighted images from its collection.
Regarding the Perplexity deal, Nick Unsworth, vice president of strategic development at Getty Images, said that “partnerships such as this support AI platforms to increase the quality and accuracy of information provided to consumers, creating a more engaging and trustworthy experience.”
