Perplexity Ditches Ads, Targets CEOs, Doctors, Says We 'Will Focus More On Revenue...' - NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA), Snap (NYSE:SNAP)
SnapSnap(US:SNAP) Benzinga·2026-02-18 10:32

Core Insights - Perplexity AI is shifting its focus from advertising to subscriptions and enterprise clients to achieve sustainable revenue growth [1][2] - The company aims to target high-powered professionals, emphasizing revenue retention over other metrics [2] - Perplexity AI reached $200 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) by October 2025 and is expanding its enterprise offerings [3] Monetization Strategy - The company is prioritizing monetization, particularly through subscriptions and enterprise sales, rather than the volume of questions answered [2] - A five-person enterprise sales team is currently in place, with plans for expansion in the near future [3] Advertising Approach - Previous attempts to incorporate ads into AI-generated answers were unsuccessful, as users expressed skepticism about their credibility [3][4] - Perplexity AI will continue to offer free access to its services, albeit with rate limits [4] Product Development and Security Concerns - The CEO highlighted the potential of on-device AI to enhance user control and automate tasks, while also warning against misuse of the AI browser, Comet [5] - Security vulnerabilities were identified in Comet following audits by Brave and Guardio, raising concerns about its capabilities [6]