Perplexity AI Launches Deep Research Tool to Compete with OpenAI, Google

Key Takeaways

1. Introduction of Deep Research Tool: Perplexity AI has launched “Deep Research,” a tool designed to provide expert insights quickly and at a lower cost than competitors like OpenAI.

2. Cost and Accessibility: Unlike OpenAI’s tool priced at $200/month, Perplexity offers a free version with limitations and a pro version for $20/month, allowing users to make up to 500 inquiries daily.

3. Human-like Research Emulation: The Deep Research tool mimics human research processes, delivering coherent, citation-supported reports in under three minutes across various subjects.

4. Performance Metrics: Perplexity’s tool scored 21.1% on “Humanity’s Last Exam,” outperforming some models but still behind OpenAI’s 26.6% score.

5. Legal Challenges and Partnerships: Perplexity faces legal issues over content usage but is forming partnerships with media publishers to establish revenue-sharing agreements.

Perplexity AI is making a significant commitment to the future of AI research with its new “Deep Research” tool, which aims to deliver expert insights at a faster pace than ever. Founded by Aravind Srinivas, a former researcher at OpenAI, the company has rapidly established itself in the AI landscape, receiving support from big names like Jeff Bezos and Nvidia. Now, it’s directly challenging OpenAI’s expensive research assistant by offering a freemium option that focuses on being user-friendly and quick.

Deep Research: Expert Analysis in Minutes

In contrast to OpenAI’s Deep Research, which comes with a steep $200 monthly fee, Perplexity’s tool is free to use, though there are some restrictions. Users who opt for the pro version, costing $20 monthly, can access up to 500 deep research inquiries each day. The web-based AI assistant is also set to launch on iOS, Android, and Mac soon, making comprehensive research easily accessible with just a few clicks.

Mimicking Human Research

Deep Research is fundamentally designed to emulate a human’s approach to understanding complicated topics—searching, reading, and refining information before producing a coherent, citation-supported report. It covers a wide array of subjects, including finance, marketing, healthcare, and product research. Notably, it generates results in less than three minutes, which is a stark improvement compared to OpenAI’s tool, requiring five to thirty minutes for similar outcomes.

Performance and Legal Challenges

On the performance front, Perplexity’s Deep Research tool achieved a score of 21.1% on “Humanity’s Last Exam,” a benchmark for expert analysis. This result surpasses models like Gemini Thinking (6.2%) and GPT-4o (3.3%), yet it still trails behind OpenAI’s score of 26.6%. Despite these advancements, Perplexity is facing increasing legal challenges, having been sued by major media houses over claims of unapproved content usage. In response, the company is forming partnerships with publishers such as Time and Fortune to create revenue-sharing arrangements.

As AI research tools continue to evolve, Perplexity’s focus on speed, cost-effectiveness, and user accessibility could position it as an attractive option for users who prefer not to spend large amounts on high-end AI solutions.

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