Perplexity AI

Perplexity AI is an innovative company founded in 2022, based in San Francisco, California. Specialising in artificial intelligence, Perplexity has developed a unique search engine that uses advanced natural language processing to answer queries with predictive text. The company’s free product offers basic search functions, while the premium "Perplexity Pro" provides enhanced capabilities, including access to advanced models such as GPT-4 and Claude 3.5. By combining data from across the web, Perplexity delivers precise answers and cites sources directly within responses.

The company's flagship product, Perplexity Search Engine, helps users find information efficiently, summarising search results with inline citations. Its "Focus" feature allows users to narrow searches to specific sources like Reddit or academic papers. Perplexity Pro users benefit from additional features like file uploads, image generation, and API access. In 2024, the company launched "Pages," a tool that creates customised research presentations based on user prompts, further expanding its functionality for professional use.
Perplexity AI has quickly gained recognition and financial backing, securing $165 million in funding by 2024 and achieving a valuation of over $3 billion. With a growing user base and expanding product features, Perplexity is well-positioned as a leader in conversational search technology.
 

Perplexity AI, founded in August 2022, is a prominent player in the field of artificial intelligence, specifically in developing advanced search engine technology. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, the company was established by a team of experienced engineers and AI specialists: Aravind Srinivas, Denis Yarats, Johnny Ho, and Andy Konwinski. 

The founders brought diverse experiences from their previous roles: Srinivas was an AI researcher at OpenAI, Yarats had been a research scientist at Meta, Ho worked at Quora and as a quantitative trader on Wall Street, and Konwinski was part of the founding team at Databricks. Together, they aimed to create an advanced search engine powered by artificial intelligence.

The company’s primary product, the Perplexity Search Engine, was designed to offer a novel approach to search queries by using natural language processing (NLP). Unlike traditional search engines, Perplexity generates answers using a large language model (LLM) that processes user queries in natural language and provides detailed responses with inline citations. The free version of this search engine incorporates basic NLP capabilities, while the premium “Perplexity Pro” offers access to more advanced models, such as GPT-4 and Claude 3.5. This model not only delivers enhanced search capabilities but also supports features like file uploads, image generation, and API access.

By early 2024, Perplexity had garnered significant attention and funding, raising $165 million from notable investors including Jeff Bezos, Nvidia, and Bessemer Venture Partners. The company's valuation soared to over $1 billion, reflecting its growing influence in the AI sector. This financial backing enabled Perplexity to expand its offerings and enhance its technology. In April 2024, the company launched a new enterprise version of its product, catering to business needs and further establishing its market presence.

In May 2024, Perplexity introduced “Pages,” a new feature allowing users to create custom research presentations. This tool uses Perplexity’s AI models to gather and summarise information, generating shareable and publishable research documents based on user inputs. This feature significantly broadened the company’s appeal to academic and professional users, providing a valuable tool for creating detailed reports and presentations.

Despite its success, Perplexity faced some criticism and challenges. In June 2024, Forbes accused Perplexity of using its content without proper citation, raising concerns about content aggregation versus plagiarism. Perplexity defended its practices by asserting that it only aggregates information and not directly copies from sources. Additionally, investigations by Wired and web developer Robb Knight revealed that Perplexity's web crawlers might not fully adhere to the robots.txt standard, which allows websites to prevent automated scraping. Perplexity acknowledged some issues and explained that they rely on third-party crawlers as well.

To address these concerns, Perplexity announced a new publishers’ programme in July 2024, aiming to share ad revenue with media partners. Initial participants included major publications like Time, Der Spiegel, and Fortune. This initiative was designed to improve relationships with content providers and ensure fair use of their materials.

Perplexity AI's mission is to empower people with easy access to accurate and comprehensive information. They aim to revolutionise how users search for and interact with data by using advanced artificial intelligence. By providing clear, detailed responses based on the latest information, Perplexity strives to make knowledge accessible and useful for everyone. Their goal is to improve the way individuals conduct research, make decisions, and stay informed, using a search engine that understands and meets their specific needs.
 

Perplexity AI envisions a world where information is effortlessly accessible and tailored to each user's needs. They aim to be the leading platform for intuitive and precise search solutions, enabling users to explore and understand complex topics with ease. By constantly advancing their technology, Perplexity seeks to enhance the way people interact with information, making it more interactive and relevant. Their vision is to create a future where knowledge is seamlessly integrated into everyday life, fostering informed decision-making and continuous learning for all.

Perplexity AI offers a range of products and services designed to make information search and research more intuitive and efficient. Their primary offering is a powerful search engine that leverages advanced artificial intelligence to provide accurate and relevant answers to user queries.

1. Search Engine:
The core product of Perplexity AI is its search engine, which uses natural language processing (NLP) to understand and interpret user queries. This search engine goes beyond traditional search methods by summarising and generating answers based on information from various web sources. It provides users with a streamlined and easy-to-read response that includes inline citations, allowing them to verify the information. This approach not only saves time but also enhances the reliability of the search results by presenting a well-rounded view of the topic.

2. Freemium Model:
Perplexity operates on a freemium model, offering a basic version of its search engine for free. This free product includes essential search functionalities and modes. Users can perform general searches and access a range of filters, such as focusing on specific sources like Reddit, YouTube, WolframAlpha, or academic papers. This flexibility allows users to tailor their search experience based on their needs.

3. Perplexity Pro:
For more advanced needs, Perplexity offers the "Pro" version, which includes additional features and access to more sophisticated AI models. Perplexity Pro users benefit from enhanced capabilities, including access to GPT-4, Claude 3.5, Mistral Large, Llama 3, and an experimental Perplexity Model. These advanced models offer improved accuracy and a deeper understanding of complex queries. The Pro version also supports the analysis of local files, including images, and provides users with access to an API for integration with other applications.

4. Enterprise Version:
Launched in April 2024, Perplexity's enterprise version caters to businesses and organisations. This version includes features tailored for professional use, such as enhanced data analysis tools and customisable search options. It supports larger-scale operations and provides businesses with the tools needed to leverage AI for improved research and data management.

5. Pages Feature:
In May 2024, Perplexity introduced the "Pages" feature, which allows users to create customisable webpages based on their search queries. This feature is particularly useful for generating research presentations or reports. Users can input prompts and gather information to compile comprehensive and shareable documents. The Pages feature leverages Perplexity’s AI models to provide a structured and professional presentation of information.

6. API and Integration:
Perplexity provides an API that allows developers and businesses to integrate its search functionalities into their own applications. This API facilitates the incorporation of Perplexity’s powerful search capabilities into various platforms, enhancing the functionality of other tools and services.