AI Search Startup Perplexity Is Challenging Google—While Using Its Data

Perplexity AI, an artificial intelligence–powered search engine, has become a Silicon Valley startup darling for taking on Google with conversational answers rather than a list of web links. Tech CEOs such as Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and Dell’s Michael Dell have sung the praises of the startup, and it has raised more than $100 million in venture capital from Nvidia and others.

Aravind Srinivas, Perplexity’s CEO, has slammed Google, saying that the tech giant is “going to be viewed as something that’s legacy and old, and Perplexity will be viewed as something that’s the next generation and future.” What he hasn’t said until now: The startup uses Google’s website rankings for its own results.