Perplexity AI launches new assistant feature exclusively for Android users

· 2 min read
Perplexity

Perplexity AI has launched its new feature, Perplexity Assistant, exclusively for Android users. This assistant integrates reasoning, web search, and app functionalities to help users manage daily tasks, marking a shift from Perplexity's role as an AI-powered answer engine to a more comprehensive digital assistant. The feature is available through the Perplexity app on the Google Play Store and supports 15 languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and Hindi.

The Perplexity Assistant offers a range of capabilities:

  1. Task Automation: Users can book dinner reservations, hail rides via apps like Uber, draft emails, set reminders, and even locate forgotten songs.
  2. Context Retention: It maintains context across tasks. For instance, it can research restaurants, check reviews, and proceed to book a table within the same interaction.
  3. Multimodal Interaction: The assistant uses the phone’s camera to analyze surroundings or screen content. For example, it can identify objects or provide information about on-screen items.
  4. Web Integration: It leverages Perplexity's search engine for real-time information retrieval. This includes setting intelligent reminders for events by finding accurate dates and times online.

To access the assistant, users must download or update the Perplexity app and set it as their default assistant.

This launch highlights Perplexity's ambition to compete with established AI assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. While some features may require refinement (e.g., occasional issues with restaurant bookings), the company has committed to ongoing improvements. This release follows other strategic moves by Perplexity, such as launching its Sonar API for enterprise integration and acquiring Read.cv to expand its ecosystem.

The introduction of Perplexity Assistant reflects a growing trend in AI-driven tools aiming to simplify multitasking by integrating multiple apps and services into a single interface.