Perplexity AI partners with Getty Images: All the details

Perplexity

Perplexity AI has signed a multi-year licensing deal with Getty Images, giving its users access to one of the world’s largest image libraries. The agreement aims to blend verified, high-quality visuals with Perplexity’s AI-powered search tools—while ensuring proper attribution and copyright compliance.

Under the partnership, Perplexity will use Getty’s API to integrate stock and editorial photos directly into its search results. Each image will carry appropriate credit and a link to the original source, a move Getty says will help “educate users on how to use licensed imagery legally.” The collaboration arrives at a time when copyright and transparency are major flashpoints in the generative AI industry.

Perplexity has faced a string of legal challenges over data use. In August, Japanese publishers Nikkei and Asahi Shimbun sued the company for allegedly copying their content and misattributing information. More recently, Reddit filed a lawsuit accusing Perplexity and three other firms of scraping its data without proper licensing. Even dictionary publishers have taken the AI firm to court for similar reasons.

For Getty, this marks a continuation of its cautious but strategic engagement with AI. The image distributor previously banned AI-generated art in 2022 due to copyright uncertainties and later sued Stability AI, the creator of Stable Diffusion, for allegedly training its model on millions of Getty-owned photos.

Nick Unsworth, Getty Images’ Vice President of Strategic Development, said partnerships like this “support AI platforms to increase the quality and accuracy of information delivered to consumers,” adding that the goal is to create a more “engaging and reliable” user experience.

For Perplexity, the deal offers a way to rebuild trust and strengthen its search product with verified visuals—an essential step in an era when AI platforms are being forced to play by clearer, more ethical rules.