DOJ needs Perplexity government to testify in its Google antitrust case

An American court docket ruled in August that Google has a monopoly on search, and whereas Google appeals, the Justice Division determines what sort of potential sanctions to impose – reminiscent of stop Chrome.

As a part of this course of, the DOJ needs to name a particular witness, in response to a current court docket submitting: Dmitry Shevelenko, business director of Perplexityan AI search supplier not too long ago valued at $9 billion by Reuters.

Perplexity and different generative AI instruments like OpenAI’s ChatGPT Search have emerged as a possible substitute for Web search as a result of they’ll supply direct solutions to complicated queries (though typically with made-up or inaccurate info). . Google responded to the menace with its personal AI search instruments, reminiscent of AI Previews, which give AI-generated solutions on prime of search outcomes.

The DOJ needs to query Shevelenko about “generative AI’s relationship to analysis entry factors, distribution, obstacles to entry and growth, and information sharing.”

“Search hotspots” is a time period the DOJ makes use of to explain issues like Google Chrome, locations the place folks go to go looking the Web.

Whereas the submitting would not clarify precisely why the DOJ needs to query Perplexity on these subjects, it may help its argument that Google is monopolizing the search trade and excluding potential opponents, and due to this fact deserves more durable penalties.

TechCrunch requested Perplexity whether or not he agreed to have his government testify and his ideas on the antitrust case. Perplexity didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark, and neither did Google.

The puzzlement is successfully caught in the course of the dispute, as either side wish to glean info from it that may assist their trigger. Google subpoenaed Perplexity in October to acquire paperwork from the corporate to show that it has viable competitors in search. (Google additionally subpoenaed Microsoft and OpenAI.)

Nonetheless, Perplexity had but to offer “a single doc” to Google as of December 11, the tech big lamented in a court docket submitting, saying there was “no conceivable justification for additional delay” after two months of ready.

For its half, Perplexity signifies within the submitting that it has already agreed to reply to 12 of Google’s 14 doc requests, however that it’s “nonetheless evaluating the burden related to gathering such a probably huge universe of paperwork.” .

Perplexity additionally says that whereas it has agreed to offer copies of licensing agreements “associated to AI coaching,” Google needs all of Perplexity’s licensing agreements and has requested Google to “meet and keep” about this.