Perplexity AI

About Perplexity AI

Perplexity AI was founded in August 2022 in San Francisco by former researchers from OpenAI, Google, and Meta, and has rapidly grown to handle hundreds of millions of searches monthly. Unlike traditional search engines, Perplexity synthesises information from multiple web sources into direct, cited answers, significantly reducing the time users spend evaluating multiple pages. The platform supports follow-up questions, allowing users to conduct iterative research within a conversational interface. Perplexity's product offerings include a free tier with basic searches, a Pro tier ($20/month) with access to advanced models including GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, and Gemini, and a Max tier ($200/month) for power users needing unlimited premium model access. The Enterprise Pro ($40/user/month) and Enterprise Max ($325/user/month) plans are designed for business deployments, featuring zero data retention policies, exclusion from AI model training, SSO, and organisation-wide usage controls. From a compliance standpoint, Perplexity Enterprise Pro has achieved SOC 2 Type II certification and aligns with GDPR and PCI DSS frameworks. Enterprise customers can execute a BAA for HIPAA compliance on a case-by-case basis. The platform's zero data retention feature for enterprise plans means that query data is not stored after a session ends, which is a meaningful commitment for organisations handling sensitive research tasks. Perplexity is particularly well-suited for research-intensive teams in financial services, consulting, legal, and technology sectors that need current, sourced information beyond a model's training cutoff. Key considerations include the fact that the platform relies on public web content and may not access proprietary databases, and that its US-based infrastructure means EU organisations should review the DPA carefully before processing personal data.