Perplexity AI has announced a new programme that will see millions of dollars paid out to media outlets, as the San Francisco-based startup seeks to reshape how publishers are compensated in the age of AI search.

The initiative, called Comet Plus, is a subscription service set to launch in the coming months. According to Perplexity, the scheme will ensure that publishers and journalists benefit when their work is used by the company’s browser or AI assistant to satisfy user requests.

“We’re compensating publishers in the model that’s right for the AI age,” the Perplexity team said in a blog post.

The startup has allocated $42.5 million for the programme, which it said will grow over time. Under the model, publishers will receive 80% of revenue from the subscription, with compensation based on three categories of internet traffic: human visits, search citations, and agent actions.

Subscribers will pay $5 per month for Comet Plus, either as a standalone service or as part of Perplexity’s Pro and Max memberships. The company said users will gain access to premium content from participating publishers, with the subscription enabling both direct site access and AI-assisted engagement with articles.

“Comet Plus transforms how publishers are compensated in the AI age,” the company said. “As users demand a better internet in the age of AI, it’s time for a business model to ensure that publishers and journalists benefit from their contributions to a better internet.”

Perplexity said the model recognises that people now consume information in different ways: by browsing directly, asking for AI-generated answers, or relying on agents to complete more complex tasks. “Publishers should settle for nothing less,” the company added.

The announcement comes as Perplexity continues to face mounting legal pressure from the media industry.

The company, valued at $18 billion in July, has been targeted with lawsuits in both the United States and Japan. The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and Yomiuri Shimbun have all accused the firm of unfairly profiting from their work. One suit alleges Perplexity illegally copied and reproduced content from the Wall Street Journal and New York Post to power its AI-driven “answer engine.”

In Japan, the company now faces a new lawsuit filed on behalf of Nikkei and Asahi Shimbun. The two outlets are seeking damages of ¥2.2 billion (over £11 million) each, accusing Perplexity of copying and storing article content and ignoring a “technical measure” designed to prevent this.

The case also claims that Perplexity damaged the newspapers’ credibility by producing incorrect summaries and information falsely attributed to their reporting, in violation of the country’s Unfair Competition Prevention Act.

The company argues that its technology provides value by offering up-to-date answers with source links. Unlike ChatGPT or Anthropic’s Claude, which do not directly cite publishers, Perplexity’s tool frequently includes references to source material. However, unlike traditional search engines, it presents ready-made answers on its own page, reducing the need for users to click through to the original website.

Google has also integrated AI-generated summaries into its search results, highlighting the growing industry shift towards answer-based browsing.

Perplexity has sought to address publisher concerns by signing partnerships with outlets including Fortune, Time, Le Monde, Der Spiegel, and the Los Angeles Times. It has also pledged to provide partner organisations with access to its enterprise tools for developing AI-driven products.

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Despite these efforts, Perplexity continues to face legal threats. The BBC has previously accused the company of scraping and reproducing its content without consent, while Forbes and Wired have raised similar complaints. In the United States, the company failed last week to persuade a New York federal court to dismiss or transfer an ongoing case brought by News Corp.’s Dow Jones and the New York Post.

The outcome of Perplexity’s disputes may depend on jurisdiction. Japanese law permits some AI training on copyrighted material but restricts copying and storage without consent or when technical safeguards are bypassed. U.S. law, meanwhile, offers publishers broader protection, with courts closely scrutinising reproduction and commercial use of content.