Perplexity Assistant: The New AI Contender Taking on ChatGPT and Gemini

TL;DR – What You Need to Know in 30 Seconds

• Perplexity AI launches Perplexity Assistant for Android, competing with Siri, Alexa, and ChatGPT.
• Key features: Real-time web searches, multi-app task automation, voice/text/camera interactions, and 15-language support.
• Advantages: Faster, more accurate answers with cited sources, cross-app automation, and search-powered intelligence.
• Limitations: Android-only for now, lacks deep ecosystem integration, and requires an internet connection.
• Market impact: Backed by Nvidia & Jeff Bezos, valued at $9B, and aiming to disrupt the AI assistant space.

What is Perplexity AI Assistant, and Why Is Everyone Talking About It?

Perplexity AI has made a bold move into the AI assistant space with the launch of Perplexity Assistant for Android. More than just a conversational AI, this tool acts as an integrated digital assistant capable of performing a wide range of tasks across apps, from booking a ride to setting reminders.

With strong financial backing—including investments from Nvidia and Jeff Bezos—Perplexity is positioning itself as a serious competitor to Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. But can it hold its ground against these established players? Let’s take a deep dive.

What Can Perplexity Assistant Do?

Unlike traditional AI assistants that rely on predefined commands, Perplexity Assistant integrates multimodal interactions, real-time web access, and app automation to streamline daily digital tasks.

Key Features

• Multimodal Interactions: Supports voice, text, and camera-based commands.
• Task Automation: Can book rides, set reminders, play music, schedule appointments, draft emails, and more.
• App Integrations: Works seamlessly with Uber, Spotify, YouTube, OpenTable, Gmail, and messaging apps.
• Real-Time Information: Leverages Perplexity’s search engine for up-to-the-minute web data.
• Context Awareness: Maintains memory across multiple tasks for more natural interactions.
• 15-Language Support: Available in English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Hindi, and more.

With these capabilities, Perplexity Assistant moves beyond the role of a simple Q&A bot to an actionable, proactive digital assistant.

How Does It Compare to Siri, Alexa, and ChatGPT?

What Sets Perplexity Assistant Apart

✅ Real-Time Web Access: Unlike Siri and Alexa, Perplexity Assistant taps into live internet data, ensuring fresher, more accurate responses.
✅ Cross-App Automation: Performs multi-step actions across different apps—for example, finding a restaurant, booking a table, and hailing an Uber in one go.
✅ Cited Information Sources: Unlike ChatGPT, which provides generated responses, Perplexity references actual sources, adding credibility to its answers.
✅ More Customisation: Users can personalise interactions and task automations, giving them more control over how the assistant operates.

Challenges and Limitations

❌ Android-Only (For Now): iOS users are left waiting until Apple grants the necessary permissions.
❌ Limited Ecosystem Integration: Unlike Siri (Apple) and Alexa (Amazon), Perplexity doesn’t have a hardware ecosystem to tightly integrate with.
❌ Internet Dependency: Currently requires an active connection—offline capabilities are limited, though future updates may improve this.

While it still lacks the deep ecosystem ties of Siri or Alexa, Perplexity’s search-based intelligence and task execution capabilities make it a compelling alternative.

Market Impact: A New Challenger in the AI Race?

Perplexity’s move into the AI assistant space isn’t just an experiment—it’s a strategic expansion backed by serious funding. A recent $500 million investment round tripled its valuation to $9 billion, giving it the resources to challenge OpenAI, Apple, and Amazon.

But the AI assistant space is evolving fast. Apple is rolling out Apple Intelligence, OpenAI is integrating Tasks into ChatGPT, and Amazon is revamping Alexa for a more AI-driven experience.

To stay competitive, Perplexity will need to:

• Expand beyond Android and secure a presence on iOS.
• Strengthen its app and device integrations.
• Differentiate itself with unique automation capabilities beyond what Siri and Alexa offer.

Final Verdict: A Promising but Unfinished Product

Perplexity Assistant is a fresh, powerful alternative to existing AI assistants, blending search engine capabilities with real-world task execution. Its ability to automate multi-app workflows and access live data makes it more versatile than many of its rivals.

However, with iOS availability still uncertain and integration gaps to fill, its journey is just beginning.

If Perplexity can refine its ecosystem strategy and expand its reach, it could become a true AI assistant powerhouse. But for now, it remains a promising contender rather than an outright leader.

Would you switch to Perplexity Assistant, or do Siri, Alexa, and ChatGPT still reign supreme? Let us know in the comments.

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• Learn more at the Perplexity website by tapping here.