Perplexity’s AI-driven platform aims to revolutionise internet information searches by providing real-time, accurate, and contextual answers to queries using natural language processing. Unlike traditional search engines that return a list of links, Perplexity understands the intent behind questions and delivers clear, concise answers from a curated set of relevant sources.

The investment sees Wayra join an impressive roster of existing backers, including tech giants Nvidia and Databricks, as well as high-profile individuals such as Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and billionaire investor Stanley Druckenmiller. Venture capital firms Bessemer Venture Partners, NEA, and IVP have also placed their bets on Perplexity’s growth and expansion.

In addition to the investment, Telefónica has inked a global commercial agreement with Perplexity. This partnership will offer preferential benefits to Telefónica customers in Brazil, the UK, and Spain, with plans to explore expansion into other markets.

Telefónica has launched a Perplexity experience through television. The company has developed an exclusive living app within the Movistar Plus+ catalogue, allowing customers with compatible sets to interact with Perplexity directly through their TV. Users can ask questions on any topic using the Movistar Plus+ Voice Remote by pressing the Aura button, receiving AI-generated text answers in real-time, displayed on-screen and spoken aloud.

Chema Alonso, Chief Digital Data Officer at Telefónica, said: “The investment in Perplexity is part of one of the new keys of Wayra’s investment strategy in leading technology markets such as the US, in high-growth companies with global presence and reach, and leaders in technologies such as AI.

“With this commercial agreement, we are also reinforcing Telefónica’s commitment to integrating cutting-edge technologies into the company and offering transformative experiences like Perplexity’s answer engine to our customers”.

Perplexity’s AI-powered approach sets it apart from traditional search engines by offering a conversational interface and personalised results. The platform also provides a clear list of cited sources, enhancing the accuracy and relevance of its answers.

Aravind Srinivas, Co-Founder and CEO of Perplexity, commented: “This investment from Wayra not only validates our AI-powered approach but also opens up exciting opportunities for global expansion.”

By bringing Perplexity’s capabilities to television screens, Telefónica is delivering new ways for users to access information and interact with AI in their homes.

“We look forward to continuing to partner with Telefónica to push the boundaries of what’s possible in AI-driven information discovery and to create transformative experiences for users worldwide,” concludes Srinivas.

The investment from Telefónica comes as research suggests the telecoms industry is leading in generative AI adoption.

See also: King’s Business School: How AI is transforming problem-solving

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This change was observed in the latest update to the Baidu Baike robots.txt file, which denies access to Googlebot and Bingbot crawlers.

According to the Wayback Machine, the change took place on August 8. Previously, Google and Bing search engines were allowed to index Baidu Baike’s central repository, which includes almost 30 million entries, although some target subdomains on the website were restricted.

This action by Baidu comes amid increasing demand for large datasets used in training artificial intelligence models and applications. It follows similar moves by other companies to protect their online content. In July, Reddit blocked various search engines, except Google, from indexing its posts and discussions. Google, like Reddit, has a financial agreement with Reddit for data access to train its AI services.

According to sources, in the past year, Microsoft considered restricting access to internet-search data for rival search engine operators; this was most relevant for those who used the data for chatbots and generative AI services.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Wikipedia, with its 1.43 million entries, remains available to search engine crawlers. A survey conducted by the South China Morning Post found that entries from Baidu Baike still appear on both Bing and Google searches. Perhaps the search engines continue to use older cached content.

Such a move is emerging against the background where developers of generative AI around the world are increasingly working with content publishers in a bid to access the highest-quality content for their projects. For instance, relatively recently, OpenAI signed an agreement with Time magazine to access the entire archive, dating back to the very first day of the magazine’s publication over a century ago. A similar partnership was inked with the Financial Times in April.

Baidu’s decision to restrict access to its Baidu Baike content for major search engines highlights the growing importance of data in the AI era. As companies invest heavily in AI development, the value of large, curated datasets has significantly increased. This has led to a shift in how online platforms manage access to their content, with many choosing to limit or monetise access to their data.

As the AI industry continues to evolve, it’s likely that more companies will reassess their data-sharing policies, potentially leading to further changes in how information is indexed and accessed across the internet.

(Photo by Kelli McClintock)

See also: Google advances mobile AI in Pixel 9 smartphones

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According to two sources familiar with the matter who spoke to Reuters, OpenAI is scheduled to unveil its AI-powered search tool on Monday. The introduction of this product coincides closely with the timing of Google’s annual I/O conference, which starts on Tuesday and is anticipated to feature several AI-related announcements.

While Google remains a titan in search, it too has been adapting to incorporate AI more deeply into its functionalities. Google began trialling AI-powered search summaries in the US over a year ago and expanded testing to selected, signed-in UK users last month.

The potential entry of OpenAI into the search engine market adds a new layer of competition not only for Google, but also for other entities like Perplexity. This week, Perplexity announced a partnership with SoundHound to enhance voice assistants for IoT devices with its AI-powered search capabilities.

OpenAI, heavily supported by Microsoft, seems to be banking on the intersection of AI and search engine technology to carve out its niche. Microsoft previously integrated OpenAI’s AI capabilities into its Bing search engine and Edge browser in February 2023, making these advanced features available to paid subscribers, along with integration into its Microsoft Office suite.

OpenAI’s forthcoming search product is expected to expand on its existing flagship tool, ChatGPT. Reports from Bloomberg reveal that the new feature will allow users to pose questions to ChatGPT and receive responses that pull information from the web with appropriate citations. This could include references to Wikipedia or various blogs and might even provide illustrative images or diagrams relevant to the queries.

If OpenAI successfully launches this new search product, it could signify a significant shift in how internet searches are conducted—moving away from traditional search models towards more integrated, AI-driven responses that significantly enhance user experience.

(Photo by GR Stocks)

See also: Coalition of news publishers sue Microsoft and OpenAI

Want to learn more about AI and big data from industry leaders? Check out AI & Big Data Expo taking place in Amsterdam, California, and London. The comprehensive event is co-located with other leading events including Intelligent Automation Conference, BlockX, Digital Transformation Week, and Cyber Security & Cloud Expo.

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