Perplexity AI launched Comet Plus, a $5-per-month subscription that offers smarter AI browsing while directing revenue to publishers. The program includes a $42.5 million fund reserved for early participating publishers and is designed to scale as subscriber numbers grow. Revenue is split so publishers receive 80% and Perplexity retains 20% to cover compute and operational costs. Payout allocation uses three engagement metrics: direct site visits, citations in on-screen AI answers, and usage within AI-driven tasks such as research or purchases. The model seeks to realign incentives toward fair compensation for journalism instead of ad-driven clickbait.
The centerpiece of this initiative is Plus, a $5-a-month subscription tier designed to deliver smarter browsing as well as channel income back to publishers whose work powers its AI. At the core of Comet Plus lies a $42.5 million , earmarked for early participating publishers and slated to expand as more users join Comet Plus, one that Perplexity promises will expand over time. The model is built on a generous split: publishers 80% of subscription revenue, while Perplexity retains 20% to defray compute and operational costs.
Notably, Perplexity's head of publisher partnerships, Jessica Chan, Comet Plus as a corrective to those archaic incentives. "Perplexity only succeeds if journalism succeeds. We're really committed to building and funding more sustainable, thriving news ecosystems for the AI age," she explained in a Digiday interview. "I think anything that supports publishers, fair compensation, transparency - we're all open to supporting. We'd be open to [participating] ."
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