A U.S. court docket dominated in August that Google has a search monopoly, and whereas Google appeals, the Justice Division is determining what sort of potential penalties to impose — like breaking off Chrome.
As a part of this course of, the DOJ desires to name on a particular witness, in line with a current court docket submitting: Dmitry Shevelenko, chief enterprise officer of Perplexity, an AI search supplier most just lately valued at $9 billion, per Reuters.
Perplexity and different generative AI instruments like OpenAI’s ChatGPT Search have emerged as a possible substitute for looking out the web, as they will supply direct solutions to difficult queries (albeit, generally with made-up or inaccurate data). Google has responded to the menace with its personal AI search instruments, comparable to AI Overviews, which give AI-generated solutions above search outcomes.
The DOJ desires to ask Shevelenko about “generative AI’s relationship with Search Entry Factors, distribution, limitations to entry and growth, and information sharing.”
“Search entry factors” 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 doesn’t spell out precisely why the DOJ desires to ask Perplexity about these subjects, it may assist its argument that Google monopolizes the search enterprise and closes out potential opponents, and thus deserves stronger penalties.
TechCrunch requested Perplexity whether or not it has agreed to have its government testify and for its ideas on the antitrust case. Perplexity didn’t reply instantly to a request for remark, and neither did Google.
Perplexity is successfully caught in the course of the dispute, as each side need data from it that would assist their instances. Google subpoenaed Perplexity in October for firm paperwork to make its personal case that it has viable competitors within the search discipline. (Google subpoenaed Microsoft and OpenAI as nicely.)
Nevertheless, Perplexity has but to offer “a single doc” to Google as of December 11, the tech big lamented in a court docket submitting, claiming that there’s “no conceivable justification for additional delay” after two months of ready.
For its half, Perplexity says within the submitting that it has already agreed to satisfy 12 out of Google’s 14 doc requests however is “nonetheless evaluating the burden related to gathering such a doubtlessly expansive universe of paperwork.”
Perplexity additionally says that whereas it has agreed to offer copies of licensing agreements “associated to AI coaching,” Google desires all of Perplexity’s licensing agreements and that it has requested Google to “meet and confer” about this.
