Perplexity is the latest company in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) to introduce a new tool designed for research, which was announced on a Friday. This new feature is called “Deep Research,” and it aims to provide users with detailed answers and citations, making it more suitable for professional use than the typical chatbots that people might use for casual inquiries.
Just a few months ago, Google launched a similar feature for its Gemini AI platform, and earlier this month, OpenAI also released its own version of a research tool. Interestingly, all three companies have chosen to name their feature “Deep Research.”
The purpose of Deep Research is to help users get comprehensive answers to their questions, especially in specialized fields like finance, marketing, and product research. According to Perplexity’s blog post about the new feature, it is designed to handle a variety of expert-level tasks effectively.
Currently, you can access Perplexity’s Deep Research tool through its website, and the company plans to make it available on its apps for Mac, iOS, and Android soon. To use the feature, you simply select “Deep Research” from a menu when you ask a question. The tool then generates a detailed report that you can either export as a PDF or share as a page on Perplexity.
How does Deep Research work? Perplexity explains that the tool conducts research by searching for information, reading documents, and figuring out what to do next. It continuously refines its research strategy as it learns more about the topic, mimicking how a human might approach researching something new.
In addition to its new feature, Perplexity mentioned its performance on a challenging test called Humanity’s Last Exam, which assesses AI systems with difficult questions across various academic subjects. Perplexity’s Deep Research scored 21.1%, outperforming several other models, such as Google’s Gemini Thinking (6.2%) and OpenAI’s GPT-4o (3.3%), although it did not quite reach the score of OpenAI’s Deep Research, which was 26.6%.
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One advantage of Perplexity’s Deep Research is that it is available for free, while OpenAI’s version requires a subscription that costs $200 per month. Perplexity allows non-paying users to make a limited number of queries each day, while subscribers can ask unlimited questions. Additionally, Perplexity’s tool tends to work faster, completing most tasks in under three minutes, compared to OpenAI’s Deep Research, which can take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes.
When comparing the different deep research tools, Perplexity highlighted some key differences:
- Perplexity AI is faster and more accessible for casual researchers.
- OpenAI’s tool is more in-depth and analytical, making it better suited for businesses.
- Google’s tool integrates well with existing productivity software.
While it’s still too early to determine how these tools will impact everyday and professional research as they gain popularity, there are some concerns. For example, The Economist has pointed out potential weaknesses in OpenAI’s Deep Research, such as its limited creativity in interpreting data and a tendency to rely on easily accessible sources. There is also a worry that depending too much on an advanced AI assistant for research might reduce the chances of coming up with original ideas.
