DaVoice sues Perplexity AI over alleged theft of activation-word trade secrets

Startup DaVoice filed a federal lawsuit in California accusing Perplexity AI of misappropriating trade secrets related to activation-word technology for AI assistants, following a prior collaboration. The complaint alleges Perplexity used DaVoice's proprietary source code, inference logic, and training data without authorization. The case is at an early stage, with no company comment yet, and its outcome could affect AI industry practices around partnerships and IP protection.