Perplexity has added a new reasoning model, DeepSeek R1, designed to support deep web research. Announced by Aravind Srinivas on Twitter, the model is described as the "world's most powerful reasoning model" and includes reasoning traces, which provide a transparent view into the model's decision-making process. This feature aims to enhance user understanding of how conclusions are reached during research tasks.
DeepSeek R1 is now available on Perplexity to support deep web research. There's a new Pro Search reasoning mode selector, along with OpenAI o1, with transparent chain of thought into model's reasoning. We're increasing the number of daily uses for both free and paid as add more… pic.twitter.com/KIJWpPPJVN
— Perplexity (@perplexity_ai) January 27, 2025
DeepSeek R1 is now live on the Perplexity platform, available for both free and paid users. The release also includes a "Pro Search" reasoning mode selector, which allows users to toggle between DeepSeek R1 and OpenAI o1 reasoning modes. This addition offers flexibility in choosing the model that best suits specific research needs. Desktop notifications for reasoning mode changes have also been rolled out.
To accommodate increased demand, Perplexity is gradually raising usage limits throughout the day. While the current release is hosted in the U.S., there are indications that EU-hosted options may be introduced in the near future, expanding accessibility for users in different regions.
This update reflects Perplexity's ongoing commitment to enhancing its platform's capabilities for advanced research tasks. The introduction of reasoning traces aligns with a broader trend toward transparency in AI systems, allowing users to better understand and trust AI-driven outputs.