Searching for information online can be a time-consuming task. Perplexity is an AI-powered search engine that aims to streamline this process. It offers direct answers to questions plus credible source links - saving you from endless scrolling through pages and pages of search results. Let's explore what Perplexity offers, how it works, and how it compares to tools you might already be using, like Google and ChatGPT.
Could Perplexity be a useful addition to your professional toolkit?
Author: Dr. Sarah Mitchell, Founder & CEO Anadyne IQ
1. What is Perplexity?
Created by Perplexity AI in 2022, Perplexity is an AI-powered search tool that helps you find information in a more natural, conversational way. Unlike traditional search engines that rely on a keyword search and return a long list of links, Perplexity gives direct answers to your questions through a chat interface. It's much like having a virtual chat with someone knowledgeable.
A major strength of Perplexity is that it offers real-time internet search as well as citations from reliable sources. That way, not only will you be getting the most up-to-date information, but you can easily check the answer it provides, making any fact-finding mission both efficient and more reliable.
The Perplexity user interface. Source: Perplexity
2. How Does Perplexity Work?
Perplexity uses advanced language models to understand your question. It then scans the web to find the best information from trusted sources online, like articles, websites, and journals. From that information it creates a synthesised and easy-to-understand response complete with source links.
You can also ask follow-up questions to build on your original question, making the experience more like a real conversation. Check out Perplexity's FAQs for more details.
For example, if you ask, "What are the health benefits of green tea?" Perplexity will:
Search reliable health websites, scientific studies, and nutrition articles
Summarize the main points in an easy-to-understand way
Provide references to each source so you can verify the information
Perplexity offers concise, summarised answers with cited sources.
3. How Does Perplexity Differ from Google and ChatGPT?
Perplexity, Google, and ChatGPT each have their own strengths and use cases:
Perplexity vs. Google
Google remains a powerful search engine for discovering websites, articles, and various forms of content. It excels in providing diverse search results from across the web using keyword-based searches.
Perplexity is designed for you to ask questions in natural language. It interprets your request and summarises search results to offer a synthesized answer that includes citations. This saves you the hassle of having to sift through pages and pages of Google search results.
Perplexity vs. ChatGPT
ChatGPT, made by OpenAI, is a general conversational AI assistant. It can answer questions, write code, and create content in a variety of formats, including text, images, and tables. At its core, ChatGPT is a pattern matching tool, not a search engine. It relies on its extensive training data to produce responses and, depending on your plan and the version you're using, it may not have real-time internet access or the latest information. This means ChatGPT is best used for creative tasks and brainstorming as opposed to fact-based tasks.
Perplexity on the other hand, pulls information from current sources in real time, ensuring that the information is both accurate and up to date. Under the hood, Perplexity uses Generative AI models such as ChatGPT and Claude to understand the context and nuances of your query. It then searches the internet to retrieve results from authoritative sources.
Here's a quick comparison table between the three tools:
Feature | Perplexity | ChatGPT | |
|---|---|---|---|
Primary Function | AI-powered search with direct answers | Web search engine | Conversational AI assistant |
Query Input | Natural language questions | Keywords or natural language | Natural language prompts |
Answer Format | Concise, direct answers with citations | List of web links and snippets | Detailed conversational responses |
Citation Provision | Provides sources for information | Links to source websites | Generally doesn't provide citations |
Follow Up Questions | Supports contextual follow-ups | Limited (requires new searches) | Excellent contextual understanding |
Main Information Source | Real-time web search | Web crawling and indexing | Training data (may be outdated) |
Real-time Updates | Yes, pulls current information | Yes, indexes new content regularly | Limited internet access (version dependent) |
4. Free vs Paid Perplexity
Perplexity offers both free and paid versions. The free version includes basic features like direct answers, conversational searches, and some follow-up queries. The paid version (Perplexity Pro) offers extra features like priority access, more searches (at least 300+ per day), access to advanced models, and file analysis. The Pro version also gives you faster response times and higher priority for handling your requests, which is great for people who need to do a lot of research quickly.
5. How to Use Perplexity
Using Perplexity is simple. Here are the steps to get started:
Visit the Perplexity Website: Go to Perplexity.ai to access the tool. You don't have to create an account to use Perplexity, but signing in will enable your chats to be saved for future sessions.
Enter Your Question: Type in a question or topic you want to learn about. You can use natural language, just like you would ask a person for information in real life. Be specific with your query if you need particular details or facts. Check out Perplexity's prompting tips here.
Choose Your Search Type: Use the default Quick search option for an instant response, or the Pro search option for a more detailed answer (Pro allows 5 queries every four hours on the free plan). You can toggle to Pro next to the 'go' arrow button in the chat window.
Review the Response: Perplexity will provide a synthesised conversational answer along with references to the original sources. Be sure to review and check the sources for factual accuracy like you would when using Google before using the information elsewhere.
Ask Follow-Up Questions: You can ask Perplexity follow-up questions within the chat to build on your initial question or get more specific details.
6. What Can You Use Perplexity For?
Perplexity is helpful for both quick questions and deeper research, giving you a more interactive way to find credible information. Perplexity is best for people who are looking for reliable answers quickly without searching through multiple websites. Here are some examples of when to use Perplexity:
Finding Quick Answers
For straightforward questions like "What are the benefits of regular exercise?" or "How does solar power work?", Perplexity provides quick, clear, and targeted responses.
Fact-Checking
If you need to check the accuracy of a fact, Perplexity quickly pulls information from trusted sources with citations. For instance, a journalist working on a story about environmental policy changes can use Perplexity to find and verify the latest data or statements from reliable sources.
Comparing Options
Whether you're comparing products, services, or opinions, Perplexity gathers information from across the web to help you decide. For example, a small business owner deciding between different e-commerce platforms can use Perplexity to quickly compare features, pricing, and user reviews.
Understanding Complex Topics
Perplexity can break down complicated subjects into simple explanations, making it great for learning. For example, an HR manager who wants to understand the basics of machine learning can use Perplexity to get an easy-to-understand explanation without technical jargon.
Preparing for Meetings or Presentations
Use Perplexity to get key points on a topic for a presentation, so you can get summarized, reliable information fast. For instance, a sales executive preparing for a pitch meeting can use Perplexity to gather key insights on a prospective client's industry or competitors.
If you want a clear understanding of where your information comes from, Perplexity could be a great tool for you. You can find more use case ideas on the Perplexity website.
7. Privacy and Considerations
While Perplexity has many great features, there are some considerations worth being aware of:
Data Privacy
Perplexity collects data to improve its service and give better answers. It may use query data to make its model more accurate. Users should review the current privacy policy for the most up-to-date information on data handling practices, and as with any conversational AI tool, it is best practice to avoid sharing any personal information in your queries.
Dependence on Source Quality
The accuracy of Perplexity's answers depends on the quality of the sources it finds. If the available information is wrong or biased, Perplexity's response may also be affected.
Hallucinations
Like other AI tools that are powered by generative AI, Perplexity might sometimes give answers that are incorrect or misleading, even if they seem confident. It's important to check the output using the provided citations to make sure the information is correct.
Limited Depth for Niche Topics
For very specific or niche topics, Perplexity may not provide as much detail as specialized research databases.
8. Final Thoughts
Perplexity offers a powerful combination of traditional search engine capabilities and conversational AI. Its ability to provide direct, cited answers saves time, making it an excellent tool for quick fact-checks or learning new topics. Whether you use the free version or opt for the additional features of Perplexity Pro, understanding its strengths and limitations will help you decide if it's the right addition to your research toolkit.
If you have any questions about getting started or how to best use Perplexity, just send me a message at hello@anadyneiq.com and I'll be happy to give you a hand.
Check out more info from Perplexity below:
Get started with Perplexity: https://www.perplexity.ai/
Perplexity FAQs: https://www.perplexity.ai/hub/faq
That's me, Dr. Sarah, the author of this article and founder of Anadyne IQ.
Here at Anadyne IQ, we're all about making AI less complicated. Whether you're interested in working with Perplexity, ChatGPT, or other AI solutions, we've got you covered. We can help you get started and learn how to use these tools effectively and responsibly. A great starting point is our no-fuss AI workshops, which are designed to boost your practical knowledge and confidence with AI tools so you can supercharge your workday.
Intrigued by what AI could do for you or your business? Let's have a chat. Reach out for a no-pressure discovery call to learn more about our practical AI workshops and our AI consulting services.
