Perplexity’s great leap forward
Perplexity AI is a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) system launched in 2022 that answers questions directly by searching the web in real time, pulling from news sites, academic journals, and databases, then writing up a summary with accompanied search links. It uses AI models like GPT-4 and Claude 3 to understand your question, find the best information, and explain it in plain English. In February, Perplexity added a feature called “Deep Research,” which reads hundreds of sources, and reasons through the material to produce a very detailed, well-organized report.
Then in April, Perplexity unveiled a new version of the company’s iPhone app, which provides a glimpse into the future of getting information from an always-present assistant. For starters, it became an actual assistant, rather than just being an AI search tool. It can now do things even Siri, Apple’s own assistant, can’t do — which is somewhat astonishing, given how closed and Apple-centric the company’s operating systems tend to be.
For example, you can use your voice to ask Perplexity on your iPhone to play a song from Apple Music, open a podcast, set reminders, schedule calendar events, or even book a ride with Uber. It can scan your Apple Calendar and read out your appointments or add a reminder. It can bring up Apple Maps and give you directions or send an email through Apple Mail.
