Le Monde Partners With Perplexity AI In Major Move To Monetize Journalism As Nvidia-Backed Startup Rivals ChatGPT And Google Search

Paula Tudoran

Tue, May 20, 2025, 5:00 PM 4 min read

Le Monde, one of France's most prestigious newspapers, has entered into a partnership with Perplexity, a fast-growing U.S.-based AI search startup backed by Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA). The deal reflects a growing trend of legacy media aligning with emerging tech firms to adapt to changing information consumption habits, according to Reuters.

Perplexity, known for its real-time search engine that combines generative AI with citation-based results, will gain access to Le Monde's content. In return, the French publisher will leverage Perplexity's AI infrastructure to build new tools and explore fresh distribution channels, Reuters says.

Don't Miss:

Hasbro, MGM, and Skechers trust this AI marketing firm — Invest before it's too late.
‘Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. You can invest today for just $0.30/share with a $1000 minimum.

This agreement comes as AI companies face mounting scrutiny over how they train their models, and as publishers push for compensation and transparency, Reuters reports.

Nvidia-Backed Perplexity Expands Media Footprint With Le Monde, L.A. Times, And The Independent

The partnership is part of Perplexity's broader effort to integrate reliable journalism into its search platform. The startup has already signed deals with over a dozen publishers, including the Los Angeles Times and the U.K.'s Independent, Reuters says. These collaborations aim to ensure that the AI-generated answers on Perplexity's platform are rooted in high-quality, verifiable content.

According to Reuters, these partnerships also include an ad revenue-sharing model designed to benefit the content providers whose work powers Perplexity's responses. The AI search engine’s new Publishers' Program is setting a precedent for how AI companies can support quality journalism while scaling innovation, a Perplexity blog post says.

Trending: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — this is your last chance to become an investor for $0.80 per share.

Announced with a slate of high-profile media partners including Time, Der Spiegel, Fortune and Entrepreneur, the initiative offers revenue sharing for publishers whose content is cited in Perplexity's AI-generated answers. The model includes advertising through a "related questions" feature, giving brands the ability to insert follow-up queries and creating new monetization streams for participating outlets, the company said.

According to Perplexity, the program also provides partners with free access to its online large language model application programming interfaces, allowing them to build custom answer engines using only their own content. Publisher staff will receive complimentary access to Enterprise Pro, Perplexity's privacy-enhanced research tool, for one year. The broader goal is to equip media companies with tools to expand reach, drive engagement, and retain control over how their work is surfaced in the AI ecosystem.

See Also: Nancy Pelosi Invested $5 Million In An AI Company Last Year — Here's How You Can Invest In Multiple Pre-IPO AI Startups With Just $1,000.

AI-Powered Journalism Or Legal Minefield? Publishers Navigate A Delicate Dance

While partnerships like the one with Le Monde represent a collaborative path forward, not all media organizations are on board. Several AI companies are currently facing legal action from news outlets who accuse them of using copyrighted content without permission during model training, Reuters reports. The lawsuits reflect the growing tension between innovation and ownership, especially as generative AI tools continue to blur the lines between original content and synthesized responses.

According to Reuters, Le Monde CEO Louis Dreyfus emphasized that the agreement with Perplexity was not just about content licensing. “At Le Monde, we have continued to explore new partnerships with leading AI players to enlarge our audience, expand our development capacities, and to build new sources of revenues,” he said.

As AI reshapes how information is discovered and consumed, deals like this one between Le Monde and Perplexity may set the tone for the future. With strong backing, rising adoption, and a growing list of media collaborators, Perplexity aims to build the future of how the world reads, learns, and connects with verified truth.

Read Next:

Be part of the next med-tech breakthrough for only $350 — 500+ surgeries already done with nView's AI system.
Inspired by Uber and Airbnb – Deloitte's fastest-growing software company is transforming 7 billion smartphones into income-generating assets – with $1,000 you can invest at just $0.30/share!

Image: Shutterstock

UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets.

Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga?