Perplexity AI is a web search tool powered by artificial intelligence. The tool can generate answers to user questions and perform other content creation tasks.
By linking to sources with answers, Confusion sets itself apart from other AI and chatbot-powered search tools. This allows users to check the accuracy of the AI's results. Other features include asking follow-up questions, multi-method, file upload, news search, request management, and project collaboration. Perplexity offers Standard, Pro, and Enterprise Pro subscriptions.
Perplexity AI's primary uses include research, abstraction, content creation, language translation, and data analysis, making it useful in many areas. However, it is also vulnerable to limitations typical of generative AI, such as bias, confusion, and legal issues.
How does Perplexity AI work?
To answer your questions accurately, Perplexity AI uses advanced natural language processing (a system that enables computers to understand human language) and machine learning (the process by which computers detect patterns in large data sets and make predictions based on those patterns).
Perplexity AI goes through the following steps to give you concise and relevant answers:
Understand your query: Perplexity AI's quest combines several existing large language models (LLMS)—GPT-4 Omni, Cloud 3.5 Sonnet and Haiku, and Grok-2—with their internal, proprietary models to understand the context of your query accurately. When these LLMs work together to answer your question, the results can be more accurate and valuable than those obtained from a traditional search engine or an AI platform using a single LLM.
Search the Internet: The AI then searches for reliable sources, such as articles, websites, and magazines with relevant information. To ensure reliable results, Perplexity uses a small index of information that reflects users' frequently asked questions.
Information Synthesis: After gathering relevant information, the tool creates an easy-to-understand summary of the results. This platform uses LLM to identify the appropriate parts of the documents and thus gives you the correct answer.
Sources: Paraplexity uses only trained LLMS that provide information obtained from various sources on the Internet. By asking the LLMS to provide clear answers and appropriate citations, Perplexity AI gives you easily verifiable information and the ability to delve deeper into your chosen topic.
The search parameters
The confusion search divides the options into automatic and advanced.
The Auto feature available at all of Perplexity’s pricing levels uses the Sonar model to perform basic tasks such as answering questions, creating summaries, suggesting and answering follow-up questions, and citing sources. By definition, this mode is best suited for simple, everyday questions.
Advanced search provides more sophisticated search and creation capabilities. There are four types of advanced search: Professional Search, Deep Search, Reasoning with R1, and Reasoning with O3 Mini:
- Professional Search Function: Pro Search includes all the features of Auto and a wider source range, richer answers, more template options, multimodality and internal knowledge search features.
- In-depth research: Features include iterative search, logic, and advanced query reporting. It uses a variant of the DeepSec R1.
- In conversation with R1: This mode uses R1 1776 Perplexity AI, an open-source multilingual search model. It is a modification of DeepSeek R1 with its censorship feature removed.
- Reasoning using o3-mini: This mode uses Openai's lightweight o3-mini logic model to perform tasks that require logic and problem-solving.
What are the key features of Perplexity AI?
Perplexity has various features, from answering simple questions to more complex searches. Key Features:
Summary: When a user uses Perplexity, the tool generates a response summarising key results. Summaries can be detailed and complex, depending on the search the user is performing.
Additional questions: Perplexity provides clarifying questions to help users define their findings.
Classified searches: Perplexity has four tabs that allow users to refine their searches. Users can categorise their searches by selecting web, academic, social, or institutional files. Thus, more targeted responses to confusion can be obtained.
Check the source: The confusing search results provide detailed links that allow you to verify the source used to create the answer. This enables users to check answers on the tool.
Multi-university: Perplexity AI offers various features that allow users to work with text, images, code, and other types of media.
Upload the file: Users can add information and context to their searches by adding files through the search bar.
The search for inner knowledge: The internal knowledge search feature allows Perplexity to search its web information and internal documents. This repository can contain up to 500 custom perplexity analysis files in XLSX, PPTX, DOCX, PDF, or CSV formats.
Push the information: Users can create custom push notifications for perplexity, similar to Google Alerts and similar tools.
Real-time response: Perplexity provides real-time information, allowing users to consult the tool for real-time updates. For example, a user can ask a tool to give a score for a live football match. However, users report that the feature is sometimes slow and does not always provide the most up-to-date information.
Search for news: The Discover section of Perplexity’s website presents users with a news page that looks like the news page of traditional search engines such as Google.
Control requests: The Library section of Perplexity records a user's previous search queries (called topics). The space feature allows users to organise these topics into specific folders and projects. Users can change privacy settings and invite others to collaborate on projects.
Private outputs: Perplexity’s space feature allows users to customise the tool’s answers to questions. For example, a researcher might instruct a model to use only sources from a particular year. Similarly, a student practising French can use this tool only to provide results in French.
What is Perplexity AI used for?
If reliable, up-to-date information and easily verifiable sources are your priorities, consider using Perplexity as your AI-powered search engine. This versatile tool can be used in various ways, from professional to creative applications.
Here are some examples of how Perplexity AI is used:
Ask Questions: Get concise answers to simple to complex and open-ended questions.
Learn: Use Perplexity AI's interactive features to get feedback on your work, solve complex topics, or get tutoring services.
Research: Use Perplexity to help with academic, business, legal, and other research. Puzzles can improve your information-gathering process by providing quick answers, more profound exploration, or creative inspiration.
Analyse: Summarise market forecasts, compare companies, and track market trends. Use tools to analyse research and gain insight into various documents and images.
Plan: Create an itinerary according to your budget and your preferences for destinations, accommodations, activities, food and more. Get real-time updates on travel status and restrictions.
Assistant: Be prepared to respond to customer requests, prioritise issues, and provide technical support.
Shopping: Find products, compare prices, analyse reviews on multiple websites and shop around.
Tracking: Follow industry updates and stay up to date on the latest weather or sports scores with real-time updates.
What are the limits of Perplexity AI?
Like many other generative AI tools, confounding has some limitations that users should know. The most common problems include:
The AI bias: AI or machine learning bias occurs when an AI model is trained on biased or distorted data. Bias in AI can lead to stereotypical and inaccurate answers or outcomes that would otherwise be detrimental to marginalised and underrepresented communities.
Confusion: When AI models produce incorrect results, they become confused. This can be a particular problem for AI-powered search tools, where users want to get factual answers as quickly as possible.
Problem-solving skills are limited. AI research tools like Perplexity have limited problem-solving and reasoning capabilities. AI of perplexity can identify inappropriate sources, make incorrect assumptions about data, or make misleading generalisations.
Copyright infringement: Perplexity has been subject to copyright infringement lawsuits, like many other generative AI tools. The search engine has been accused of illegally copying and reusing copyrighted articles. Perplexity risks infringing the intellectual property rights of users or organisations wanting to create AI content.
Using the services of third-party LLM experts: The illusion serves a specific and related service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What AI model does Perplexity use?
Perplexity uses several AI models, including GPT-4, Cloud 3, Mistral Large, and Llama 3. The specific models available may vary between the free and pro versions.
Q. How can I contact Perplexity Support?
You can email Perplexity support at [email protected]. Priority support is also available via intercom on the Pro subscriber’s settings page.
Q. Does Perplexity have a mobile app?
Yes, Perplexity has a mobile app for iOS and Android devices. The app syncs between devices and offers voice search and AI-powered research features.
Q. How does Perplexity ensure user privacy?
Perplexity collects user account information and API usage data. Users should review Perplexity's privacy policy for further information on data processing and privacy practices.
Q. Is Perplexity AI a commercial product?
Perplexity AI Openai is a demo inspired by Webgpt and not a commercial product.
Conclusion
Perplexity AI revolutionises your search by providing accurate, real-time answers using advanced artificial intelligence. It offers fast, interactive answers and is ideal for research, education, and everyday questions. Discover smarter, more intuitive searches with Perplexity AI, your intelligent companion for reliable and efficient information discovery.
