Trump media company launches search engine

Results appear to be sourced largely from conservative-leaning media outlets

Trump Media is starting public beta testing of a search engine called Truth Search AI, which uses technology from Perplexity. Bloomberg

The technology company behind US President Donald Trump's Truth Social platform has announced public beta testing of an artificial intelligence search feature called Truth Search AI.

Trump Media and Technology Group said it had partnered with Perplexity, a AI-powered search browser that is gaining popularity.

“We're excited to partner with Truth Social to bring powerful AI to an audience with important questions,” read a statement from Perplexity's chief business officer Dmitry Shevelenko.

Truth Search appears to use right-leaning media companies to fuel its answers

“Curiosity is the engine of change, and Perplexity's AI is developed to empower curiosity by delivering direct, reliable answers with transparent citations that allow anyone to dig deeper.”

The search engine is accessible through the Truth Social platform created by Mr Trump's team after he was initially suspended from Twitter and Meta's Facebook following the storming of the United States Capitol on January 6, 2020.

Several searches by The National show that the AI-generated answers from Truth Search source conservative-leaning media outlets to provide answers to various questions.

“It will make Truth Social an even more vital element in the Patriot Economy,” Trump Media chief executive Devin Nunes said, referring to efforts by conservatives to boost “anti-woke” companies.

Perplexity, a start-up that aims to challenge Google's stronghold in web search, is planning to expand its footprint globally and boost adoption of its technology. (Reuters)

“We plan to robustly refine and expand our search function based on user feedback as we implement a wide range of additional enhancements to the platform.”

Trump Media said that a standalone app for Truth Search would soon be available for iOS and Android smartphone platforms.

The launch of the search engine is likely to raise concern about a potential conflict of interest, as accusations mount that Mr Trump is using the White House to enrich his personal brand and finances through cryptocurrencies, social platforms and even a smartphone company called Trump Mobile.

On Tuesday, US Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote a letter to federal agencies detailing concerns about conflicts of interest related to Trump Mobile.

In the letter, signed by other Democratic Senators, Ms Warren cautioned that Trump Mobile could cause Mr Trump, along with “his business partners, or his appointees in his administration to improperly interfere with regulators at the expense of consumers and competitors”.

Businesses using branding associated with President Trump have been criticised by congressional Democrats for potential conflicts of interest

They also said that Mr Trump's business and technology endeavours might increase the risk that he would expect “preferential treatment” from agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission and/or the Federal Communications Commission.

The White House has sought to quash these concerns by pointing out that Mr Trump is not a board member or technically otherwise involved in the businesses bearing his brand.

The introduction of Truth Search comes weeks after Mr Trump unveiled an AI Action Plan that was largely applauded by major technology players.

Truth Search's public beta test comes as Google awaits a federal court decision that could put an end to to its search dominance.