Perplexity AI has announced that it is testing ads in its search engine. The platform previously said ads would be introduced in Q4, it is now rolling out its advertising experiment for U.S. users. 

How the ads will appear

The ads will be displayed as “sponsored follow-up questions” next to the AI-generated answers provided by Perplexity. These ads will appear on the side of answer content and will be labeled as “sponsored.” 

Perplexity said these sponsored questions will still feature AI-generated responses, and the content will not be influenced by the advertisers. The company also said the ads will not prevent it from providing unbiased, direct answers. 

Some of the brands and agencies already involved in Perplexity’s ad program include Indeed, Whole Foods, Universal McCann, and PMG. These companies are among the first to test the platform’s new ad feature. Advertisers will also not have access to personal user information, Perplexity said. 

Similar moves from competitors

Perplexity’s move comes after Google experimented with ads in its AI search experience, AI Overviews, which recently displayed ads on mobile in the U.S. for certain queries. However, OpenAI has chosen not to introduce ads in its AI-powered search tool, ChatGPT Search, at this time.

Controversy surrounding Perplexity

The company has faced criticism from several media outlets, including the New York Times, which has accused the platform of unauthorized web scraping and plagiarism. Publishers like Forbes and Wired have also made similar accusations. In response, Perplexity launched a revenue-sharing program for publishers.

Perplexity is reportedly in talks to raise $500 million, which would push its valuation to $8 billion. This funding could support further growth as the platform continues to experiment with ads.