Perplexity's Getty Images Deal, AI-Powered Patent Search And Privacy Snapshot

As the competition in the generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) sector heats up, AI model makers are turning to media and publishing houses to boost the capabilities of their AI products.
 

Perplexity Patents

Recently, AI startup Perplexity introduced Perplexity Patents, a new feature that allows users to instantly search for patents and get clear answers using natural language, instead of systems that require precise keyword combinations and technical knowledge.

“Instead of constructing complicated searches of keywords, simply ask Perplexity ‘Are there any patents on AI for language learning?’ or ‘Key quantum computing patents since 2024?’”

Through conversations, Perplexity Patents understands patent-oriented queries automatically and replies with a collection of relevant patents with direct links to original documents.

It goes beyond the exact matches—for example, if a user searches for “fitness trackers,” Perplexity Patents may also show results “activity bands,” “step-counting watches,” and “health monitoring wearables,” even if it isn’t part of the search.

Users can also ask follow-up questions to retrieve information about more patents.

The new feature does more than just search for patent literature—it can explore academic papers, public software repositories, and other ideation and innovation sources. It’s powered by a state-of-the-art agentic research system, which uses a special patent knowledge index powered by Perplexity’s exabyte-scale search infrastructure.

“For users, this means no more typing out exact keywords or jumping through hoops,” says the company. “Perplexity Patents uses advanced AI to bring you real answers in real time, even to questions you might not have thought to ask.”

Currently, Perplexity Patents is in beta and is free for all users, while Pro and Max subscribers will get more usage quotas and model configuration options.
 

Perplexity’s Privacy Snapshot

Perplexity also updated its AI browser, Comet, to bring users more privacy and security features that make it easier to see and control their privacy in Comet.

The new Privacy Snapshot widget will make it easier to access and fine-tune privacy settings, right from the homepage, using a single click.

Comet Assistant in the sidebar, which allows users to ask questions about currently open tabs, search the web, and interact with websites, has now been moved to a dedicated location and clearly labels what each setting does. This includes choosing where Comet Assistant can take actions, turning off its ability to interact with websites and user history, and learning how it leverages user data.

This adds to previous privacy and security features such as ad and tracker blocking, safe browsing, built-in password managers, and regular security updates.

Perplexity confirmed that Comet keeps sensitive data such as passwords, credit card information, and other account credentials stored locally on a user’s device.

 

The Perplexity And Getty Images Partnership

Ahead of this, Perplexity and media house Getty Images announced a global multi‑year licensing agreement that would see images from Getty displayed across Perplexity’s AI‑powered search and discovery tools and will be integrated deep into the content creation and display workflows.

The deal includes using Getty Images’ API technology to provide Perplexity with access to its images, allowing users to gain a richer visual experience.

To better deliver such experiences and educate users on how to use licensed imagery legally, Perplexity will improve how it displays imagery while providing image credits with a link to the original source.

“Attribution and accuracy are fundamental to how people should understand the world in an age of AI,” said Jessica Chan, Head of Content and Publisher Partnerships at Perplexity. “Getty Images shares our belief that the future of AI‑powered discovery requires respecting the creators behind the content. Together, we're helping people discover answers through powerful visual storytelling while ensuring they always know where that content comes from and who created it.”

“Partnerships such as this support AI platforms to increase the quality and accuracy of information delivered to consumers, ultimately building a more engaging and reliable experience,” said Nick Unsworth, VP Strategic Development at Getty Images.

Recently, Getty Images and its subsidiary iStock announced the release of two new brand apps in the Webflow Marketplace, which would see both brands’ comprehensive visual content libraries become accessible to enterprises, agencies, designers, and marketing professionals worldwide on the Webflow platform.

Webflow, which is an AI-native platform that helps users build websites without writing code, will now enable its users to seamlessly search, integrate, and license millions of images directly into its platform. The integration will “help save time, keep workflows smooth, and elevate website designs with authentic, high‑quality visual assets that users can’t find anywhere else.”

Do you think these moves will help Perplexity grow its users and improve its market share?

Let us know in the comments below!