Discover why more professionals are adopting this innovative AI-powered research tool.
Since launching in December 2022, Perplexity AI has quietly become a go-to tool for serious researchers, analysts, and AI experts. While still less known than ChatGPT, or Microsoft Copilot, it’s quickly gaining ground. According to recent usage data, just 5% of the general workforce uses Perplexity—but a whopping 33% of AI professionals rely on it regularly. That’s because it’s designed for real-time, research-grade answers, not just casual chats.
What Is Perplexity AI?
Perplexity is best described as an AI-powered answer engine. It combines the web-search ability of Google with the conversational power of ChatGPT while also giving you transparent citations for every response.
Instead of showing you a list of links, Perplexity
- Searches the web in real time
- Summarizes the information
- Cites every source it pulls from
This makes it ideal for researchers, writers, students, and professionals who need trustworthy and timely information.
Why Power Users Love Perplexity
Here’s what makes it different from traditional search engines or chatbots:
- Conversational Deep Dives: You can ask follow-up questions and refine your search like a conversation.
- Smarter Research: It pulls together insights from across the web, so you don’t have to dig through tabs.
- Full Transparency: Every fact comes with a clickable source, helping you verify and explore more.
Plans & Pricing—What’s Included?
Perplexity offers three main tiers:
Plan the best for key features. FreeEveryday searchers Quick responses using lightweight models Pro ($20/mo) Researchers & heavy users Access to GPT-4, Claude, deeper results, and more context Enterprise teams & businesses API access, file search, advanced team collaboration tools
Quick Search is free and speedy, but Pro Search unlocks powerful AI models for advanced reasoning, coding help, and multi-step answers.
Targeted “Focused” Searches
Perplexity also lets you customize your search based on topics, which adds a major productivity boost:
- Academic Focus: Pulls from peer-reviewed journals and scholarly sources
- Social Focus: Scans platforms like Reddit, X, and forums for public opinion
- Video Focus: Searches YouTube with summaries and timestamps
- Writing Focus: Brainstorms, drafts, or codes—perfect for creators
- Math Focus: Solves equations via Wolfram Alpha
Perplexity Pages—The AI Wikipedia?
In May 2024, Perplexity launched “Pages”—a feature that auto-generates in-depth articles from multiple sources.
- Generates sections and visuals
- Includes source citations
- Lets users edit, share, and publish
- Live updates, like a dynamic Wikipedia.
These pages are useful for teams, educators, or anyone needing fast, reliable write-ups on any topic.
How Section Uses Perplexity Internally
Even among tech-savvy teams like Section, Perplexity remains underrated but powerful. Their educators use it to:
- Find up-to-date data, quotes, and headlines.
- Support real-time content updates
- Reduce Google search load by 10–20%.
For repetitive research tasks or entry-level analysis, Perplexity has become a go-to AI assistant.
Final Thoughts: Is Perplexity Worth It?
In short, yes—especially for knowledge workers.
Google helps you find links. Perplexity helps you find answers.
If your work involves research, writing, or learning, the $20/month Pro plan might be a worthy upgrade. But even the free version is impressive and worth trying.
