Overview
Perplexity AI is a conversational search engine founded in 2022 by former researchers from Google, OpenAI, and Meta. Instead of serving list of hyperlinks, it reads web pages in real-time, compiles key findings, and writes structured answers with footnoted source links.
Core Features
Synthesized Answers
Reads and summarizes multiple web sources directly to save time
Inline Citations
Numbered footnotes pointing to original web sources for easy verification
Guided Search
Interactive Copilot that asks clarifying questions to detail your queries
Pages Creator
Generate standalone public articles from your research queries instantly
Model Switching
Pro users can swap between models like Claude 3.5 Sonnet and GPT-4o
File Upload Analysis
Upload document files and ask questions using real-time search context
How to Use
Open Portal
Go to perplexity.ai. A VPN is required if accessing from China.
Ask Question
Type in your question in natural language and press the search arrow.
Verify Sources
Check the top grid or click inline footnotes to visit source websites.
Ask Follow-up
Use the bottom dialog bar to ask follow-up questions in the same thread.
Founding Story
Perplexity AI was founded in August 2022 by Aravind Srinivas, Denis Yarats, Johnny Ho, and Andy Konwinski. Aravind previously worked at OpenAI, while Denis Yarats was a research scientist at Meta. Designed to combat the ad-heavy and link-stuffed environment of modern search engines, Perplexity gained early investments from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and NVIDIA. By early 2024, the company was valued at over $3 billion, standing out as the chief pioneer of AI-driven search.
FAQ
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