In a move that could reshape the economics of AI-driven search, Perplexity AI has unveiled its new subscription model, “Comet Plus,” designed to compensate publishers not just for human traffic—but for bot activity as well.
The initiative marks a significant shift in how AI platforms value content. Rather than relying solely on ad revenue or licensing deals, Perplexity will share 80% of its subscription income with participating publishers.
The twist? That revenue is split across three traffic types: human engagement, search indexing, and agent activity—i.e., bots.
Why It Matters
- $42.5 million has already been earmarked to kickstart the program.
- Publishers like Gannett are on board, while others like News Corp and Nikkei have taken legal action over bot scraping.
- Perplexity’s Comet Assistant bypasses traditional bot-blocking protocols, raising fresh copyright concerns.
We are rolling out Comet to all students worldwide.
Ask Comet to manage your schedule, order textbooks, or prepare for exams with Study Mode. pic.twitter.com/sjwwQ4G4Ns
— Perplexity (@perplexity_ai) September 3, 2025
The Bigger Picture
While rivals like OpenAI pursue upfront licensing, Perplexity is betting on a usage-based model. Critics argue this “ingest first, sort it out later” approach skirts legal clarity, especially when bots access non-partner content.
Still, the company insists its system offers “robust and transparent” reporting for publishers, and that Comet Plus is a step toward fairer monetization in the AI era.
What’s Next
As AI agents become more central to search and discovery, publishers—especially in India—must decide whether to join platforms like Comet Plus or reinforce their defenses. Either way, the age of bot-powered revenue is here.
