To Provide More Flexibility, Perplexity Introduces 'Internal Knowledge Search' And 'Spaces'

Perplexity

The AI field was kind of dull and boring, and that the ripples it made barely disrupt anything but its own.

But following the boom of Large Language Models, which happened following OpenAI revelation of ChatGPT, tech companies race to create better and better AI models. They compete in a fierce battle, where they compete for supremacy.

They develop products as fast as they can speak, trying to capitalize the trend.

And Perplexity is one of the players.

The company, which uses AI to power its conversational search results, has a goal of dethroning Google Search using AI.

And this time, the company introduces Perplexity for Internal Search, which can described as the "one tool to search over both the web and your team's files with multi-step reasoning and code execution."

The company also launches Spaces, a research hub where users can use to invite others, upload additional files as persistent sources, pick an AI model of their choice, and write custom instructions on the style of responses.

In a blog post, Perplexity said that:

"At Perplexity, we believe research fuels innovation and drives progress. Whether you’re exploring new business strategies or staying ahead of industry trends, you’re here to find clear, actionable insights faster and more efficiently."

"As we've grown, so has the creativity of our users. From industry professionals to everyday hobbyists, people use Perplexity in ways we never imagined. And while our users love what Perplexity can do, they've shown us they want to achieve even more. We want to give our users even more flexibility and control over the types of sources they prompt, which is why we’re excited to introduce Internal Knowledge Search and Spaces. "

Perplexity has long offered file upload capabilities, but one of the most highly requested features has been the ability to search internal files alongside the web.

This is exactly what it's offering.

Here, users of Perplexity Pro and Enterprise Pro can now search across both public web content and their own internal knowledge bases. This allows the, to seamlessly access and synthesize the best information from all sources, helping them find answers faster.

Use cases include financial services companies that can enhance their due diligence by accessing internal research, call notes, and the latest industry updates. Another example provided is sales and business development teams that can speed up the RFP process by combining past materials with fresh insights from the web. HR teams can also benefit by having the ability to find information on benefits and wellness by searching existing internal files. Growth-stage startups can also gain feedback on R&D and product roadmaps based on best practices sourced from the web.

Next is Spaces, which according to Perplexity, is an "AI-powered research and collaboration hub."

"We’ve also reinvented how teams research and organize information with Perplexity Spaces — AI-powered collaboration hubs that can be deeply customized to your specific use case. Whether you’re part of a project team conducting research, a sales team creating customer proposals, or a student team working on study guides, Perplexity Spaces gives you a place to work together to get things done."

Once a Space has been set, users can invite others to collaborate.

For example, they can invite colleagues or friends, and then use Space to connect internal files, and customize the AI assistant by choosing their preferred AI model and setting specific instructions for how it should respond.

To fight Google and Microsoft, Aravind Srinivas, the CEO and co-founder of Perplexity.ai, knows that he's fighting an uphill battle.

He has no way to compete directly against Google or Microsoft, without carefully thinking its strategy.

But using AI in ways that Google has not yet provided, Srinivas is playing his cards carefully.

Read: To Compete Against Google Is To 'Do Something Google Don't Want To Do'

Published: 
18/10/2024