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UPDATE: Perplexity AI’s CEO has since clarified his remarks: “To be clear, the offer was not to ‘replace’ journalists or engineers with AI but to provide technical infra support on a high-traffic day,” Aravind Srinivas wrote in a separate tweet.
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Original story:
As employees strike at The New York Times, a tech CEO is suggesting the newspaper use AI to temporarily replace protesting human workers.
Perplexity AI CEO Aravind Srinivas today tweeted to the Times’ leadership about using his company’s AI to keep the newspaper’s site online as results come in for tomorrow’s US election.
In response to a tweet about NYT Publisher AG Sulzberger arguing that a NYT Tech Guild strike on Election Day is “troubling…at such a consequential moment for our country,” Srinivas wrote: “Sorry to see this. Perplexity is on standby to help ensure your essential coverage is available to all through the election. DM me anytime here.”
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Srinivas’ tweet is facing criticism for recommending that AI be used as a strikebreaker or a “scab” to replace workers who are on strike. Over 600 employees belonging to the New York Times Tech Guild—many of them software developers at the newspaper—have walked off the job to demand better worker protections, a pay increase, and defined remote work privileges.
“You know what else is essential? Paying and treating your workers fairly. This is repulsive,” one user wrote in response to Srinivas’ tweet.
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The offer from Srinivas shows that AI could go beyond simply taking jobs away from humans to undermine worker solidarity and bargaining power. The Times didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But it’s doubtful the newspaper will consider the offer. Last month, the Times sent a cease-and-desist letter to Perplexity AI, claiming the company had been unlawfully scraping the newspaper’s content for its own AI services.
In response, Perplexity’s CEO said his goal was to collaborate with the Times, noting; “We have no interest in being anyone’s antagonist here.”
Perplexity is perhaps best known for its AI-powered search engine, but it’s also been selling AI-related services to help businesses boost their productivity. On Monday, Perplexity also launched an election hub to keep US voters informed.
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