Perplexity, an AI-powered chatbot, has enhanced its Pro Search tool for research in its effort to differentiate itself from ChatGPT and other rivals in an increasingly competitive space.
The update improves the “conversational search engine” in mathematics and programming, as well as in handling multi-step reasoning. It also includes integration of the Wolfram|Alpha engine, opening up new opportunities for academic research.
Perplexity AI offers users two distinct search options. There is Quick Search, which, as the name suggests, is designed for speed and accuracy based on cited sources. Professional Search is meant for more in-depth and thorough research, such as hiring an expert research assistant to find data and explain it to you.
“Research shapes our daily lives. We use it to make informed decisions and solve problems, to innovate, learn, and grow. But it can be a time-consuming process that requires hours of information gathering and analysis,” Perplexity explained in a blog post. “Pro Search has been our answer to this challenge, revolutionizing knowledge discovery by making research faster and more efficient than ever before. Now, we’re taking it to the next level.”
The enhanced Pro Search feature now delivers even better search results. When activated in the search bar, Perplexity will dig deeper and link to a wider range of sources, also showing its step-by-step process. Pro Search is accessible to all users, with a limit of five free uses every four hours. Perplexity AI also has a Pro subscription with much more access to Pro Search.
Perplexity points to new, advanced multi-step reasoning as a core pillar in the updated chatbot. The AI now understands when a question requires a multi-faceted approach and works through goals step by step. The search AI not only returns results, but also analyzes them and takes action based on what it determines.
So, for example, you can perform follow-up searches based on previous results as a way to make what the user sees as complete and accurate as possible.
Positive Perplexity
In the realm of mathematics and programming, Perplexity, by incorporating the Wolfram|Alpha engine, gives AI the ability to solve complex mathematical problems very quickly and accurately. Obviously, this is useful not only for solving a single equation, but also for data analysis, whether in engineering, banking or customer service.
Perplexity presents the new version of Pro Search as a tool that offers benefits for a variety of professions. The company suggests that lawyers can use the tool to identify court cases, marketers can summarize trend analysis, and developers can debug code.
“We've enhanced Pro Search to tackle more complex queries, perform advanced math and programming calculations, and deliver even more researched answers,” Perplexity wrote. “Whatever your profession, Pro Search empowers you to make more informed decisions.”
You can check out Perplexity and try out the limited Pro search feature here. Then, if you wish, you can sign up for Perplexity Pro here and get more access to the Pro search mode.
