Guide to Using Perplexity

Overview

• Perplexity is positioned on a spectrum of AI tools, providing accurate, real-time information similar to Google Search, contrasting with creative-focused tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini.
• It's suitable for tasks requiring high confidence in factual accuracy (e.g., supplement advice, software troubleshooting).

Key Features

• Data Exclusion & History: Users can exclude their data from training while maintaining conversation history.
• Profile Customization: Users can add self-instructions that apply to all conversations, similar to ChatGPT custom instructions.
• Focus Feature: Users can narrow down the sources for queries to improve output quality (e.g., academic, social).
• Attachments: Free users can attach PDFs; workarounds exist for converting images to PDFs.

Practical Use Cases

• Wi-Fi Connectivity Solutions: Provides specific instructions by compiling data from various sources.
• Information Delivery: Delivers quick, accurate responses with minimal user navigation needed, often outperforming traditional Google searches.
• Collection Feature: Allows organizing research and tailoring responses, useful for structured projects like travel planning and presentations.

Comparison With Other Tools

• While adept at factual queries, Perplexity is less creative compared to ChatGPT and Google Gemini, excelling more in accuracy-focused tasks rather than high-brainpower creative tasks.
• It competes more with Google's AI Overview than with Gemini or ChatGPT.

Perplexity Pro Features

• Pro vs. Free: Paid users can change text and image model preferences, conduct detailed pro searches, and generate images. The free version is generally sufficient for most users.

Additional Notes

• Unused Features: Some features not commonly utilized include AI-generated blog posts and a personalized Discover tab.
• Developer Sandbox: Labs.perplexity lets developers experiment with Perplexity's language models for application integration.

For further exploration, check a complete playlist on AI topics.