Apart from major players like OpenAI and Google, several significant tech startups have also made their mark in a constantly evolving market. Among these firms is Perplexity AI—a firm headed by several veteran AI developers who have a considerable history of working for reputed tech giants. Perplexity AI is designed as an intelligent search assistant that allows users to interact with the platform’s chatbot. As popular AI search engines like Bing continue to provide users with better access to an internet-linked AI chatbot, firms like Perplexity AI, too, look to provide similar use cases for their users. Though current ChatGPT users are still waiting on the complete integration of the web, people using Perplexity can already search the internet in real-time, allowing them to verify and cross-check the results provided. Being more than a mere chatbot or AI search engine, Perplexity AI allows users to scan through the web with a great deal of accuracy and customization. The chatbot is known to collect information and collate key data points to respond to users.
Recently, Perplexity AI also announced a more advanced version of its existing framework called Copilot to paid users. The new iteration of Perplexity’s chatbot runs on GPT-4 and can be accessed via a monthly subscription. More recently, Perplexity’s Pro subscription has also been expanded to include Claude 2—Anthropic’s highly anticipated successor to its flagship model named Claude. Copilot is more accurate and quicker compared to Perplexity AI’s free chatbot, which can be accessed by just about anyone. Apart from being an interactive AI chatbot, Perplexity AI’s interface is also set to cater to users that wish to carry out in-depth searches surrounding specific topics. If consistently improved, Perplexity might prove to be useful to users looking to carry out preliminary research using the internet and AI. The below sections delve into the various attributes of the chatbot.
What is Perplexity AI and How Does it Work?
Perplexity AI runs on the GPT series of language models created by OpenAI.
Perplexity AI’s chatbot is practically open for use to all users via an internet browser, the Android Play Store, or the Apple iOS App Store. The basic interface is free to use, while the Copilot edition of Perplexity AI is available at a monthly subscription charge of $20. The chatbot is centered around the principles of responsible AI and caters to users’ queries by trying to provide the most pertinent information derived from an array of sources. Like Bing, Perplexity, too, provides citations and allows users to access the websites it pulls its information from when answering questions. The focus on relevant information is also similar to the priorities of other competitors like Anthropic, whose chatbot Claude is centered around causing no harm and aims to direct users to the most accurate sources possible. Perplexity’s language model uses natural language processing to determine and understand user queries. The free version uses GPT-3.5, much like ChatGPT’s free version. On the other hand, Copilot uses GPT-4. However, to mitigate demand, Copilot allows free users to only ask five questions every four hours when using the Copilot model.
A key difference between ChatGPT and Perplexity is the data set cutoff date. While ChatGPT—including GPT-4—has a cutoff limited to September 2021, Perplexity AI’s chatbot has a data set with a cutoff date in December 2022. This makes Perplexity’s innate information pool more up-to-date with events closer to current times. This, combined with web search capabilities and citations, allows users to search for the latest events and information. The transparency and source attribution feature allows users to remain aware of accurate data and allows them to spot any pitfalls of the language model such as hallucinations or in-built bias. Moreover, such features also aid their users’ creative faculties and help them arrive at intuitive conclusions about the information they receive from Perplexity AI.
Is Perplexity AI a Search Engine?
Perplexity AI brings together the best of both AI search engines and conversational chatbots.
Perplexity AI’s interface melds both an AI search engine and a conventional chatbot. Users can interact with the chatbot while also carrying out highly specific searches on the internet. As opposed to language model AIs like ChatGPT or Bard, Perplexity remains focused on providing highly accurate information to the terms and questions entered on its interface. Perplexity’s chatbot is also more likely to provide short, concise, and relevant answers, as opposed to long expositions with several paragraphs of text. Apart from providing a concise answer, the AI chatbot also offers suggestions for related search queries and terms that the user might find helpful. The information-oriented approach makes Perplexity AI especially useful for people looking to access multifaceted information through a single platform. For math and other computational tasks, Perplexity AI relies on Wolfram|Alpha’s AI-based knowledge engine, making its responses more accurate. Specificity is another key aspect of Perplexity AI, where it sticks to the information provided in the question as opposed to getting too contextual or conversational with its responses.
Cited sources in the answers are linked above the main response and appear as distinct tiles for each URL. Users can seamlessly click on the links to access the webpage and find the relevant information. Perplexity’s response time is also fairly rapid and provides detailed answers in a matter of seconds. The key feature that attracts users to Perplexity’s platform is the extent of detail covered under a single answer to a straightforward question. Such search engines and chatbots can be especially useful for technical professionals and students looking to access important information quickly. This includes domains like STEM and other engineering fields. Leveraging tech like Perplexity AI might even have a considerable impact on the way AI learning and classroom AI tools evolve.
Perplexity AI’s Scope
Perplexity AI provides a framework for the future of advanced search engines
Perplexity AI’s penchant for accuracy and relevance in its answers makes it a popular choice among a wide range of users. While the requirement for AI writing and image generation remains in demand, a fact and relevance-oriented AI chatbot finds just as many users. Perplexity AI’s efficient yet free interface allows users to explore several niches of information while being directed to other avenues to refine their knowledge. While experimental concepts like TruthGPT—a chatbot focused on information accuracy—have become more prevalent, Perplexity AI can provide unique opportunities to both developers and users to put AI to more constructive uses. Platforms like those offered by Perplexity might soon become the primary point of contact for users looking to hone their knowledge of AI and begin acquisitioning AI skills.
FAQ
1. Who owns Perplexity AI?
Perplexity AI was founded and is headed by engineers with a rich background in AI and machine learning. The four co-founders of the company—Aravind Srinivas, Denis Yarats, Johnny Ho, and Andy Kownisky—have worked for prestigious firms and companies such as Google, Quora, Meta, and UC Berkeley.
2. Does Perplexity AI use GPT-4?
Perplexity AI’s Copilot uses GPT-4. For the free users, up to five GPT-4 questions are allowed per day, while the core model remains GPT-3.5. On the other hand, paid users that have a subscription can utilize GPT-4 without any limitations. Apart from GPT-4, Perplexity’s Copilot also uses Claude 2, a model that has won serious acclaim for its efficiency and minimal hallucination.
3. When was Perplexity AI created?
Perplexity AI was launched as a firm in August 2022. The company initially launched its AI-powered answering platform “Perplexity Ask” in December 2022, followed by a Twitter search interface named Bird SQL soon after the unveiling of Perplexity Ask. Their flagship service Perplexity Ask was provided a major update in January 2023, with users receiving up-to-date sources for the answers provided. Following the launch of GPT-4, Perplexity AI incorporated OpenAI’s model into its new offering—Copilot.