Nikkei and Asahi Shimbun File Lawsuit Against AI Startup

Two leading Japanese newspapers, Nikkei and The Asahi Shimbun, have initiated legal proceedings against U.S.-based AI startup Perplexity AI, citing unauthorized use of their content. The lawsuit, filed in the Tokyo District Court, seeks a court injunction and demands ¥2.2 billion (approximately $15 million) in damages from the company by each newspaper.

According to reports, the lawsuit alleges that Perplexity has been reproducing and storing content from the newspapers without permission since June 2024. The publishers further claim that the AI platform disregarded standard web protocols designed to prevent automated scraping, thus breaching digital boundaries.

The newspapers also contend that Perplexity’s AI-generated summaries introduced factual inaccuracies, which were incorrectly attributed to their publications, potentially damaging their reputations.

This case underscores the growing tensions between media organizations and generative AI companies in both Japan and the U.S., with news publishers warning that unauthorized use of their content undermines already fragile business models by diverting traffic and ad revenue.