Perplexity isn’t a household name like Google, but the artificial intelligence (AI) company has ambitions.

Perplexity AI is a new search engine that uses AI to try to give you better search results than Google.

Here’s how it works:

• You ask a question in simple language: just like you would with Google.

• Perplexity uses AI to understand your question: it determines what you’re actually asking.

• It finds the best answer on the web: it doesn’t just give you a list of links, it actually gives you a single, summarized answer.

• It shows you where the information comes from: this way you can check the sources and find out more.

Why Perplexity thinks it can beat Google:

• Better answers: Perplexity tries to give you one really good answer instead of a series of good answers.

• No more clicking on links: you get the information you need immediately.

• Less clutter: No more ads or confusing search results pages.

Perplexity is still new, but it has the potential to change the way we search for information.

Think of it like asking a very intelligent friend a question instead of having to look up the answer yourself. This is what Perplexity tries to do.

The company has launched a new fundraising round, attempting to double its valuation to $9 billion, to better position its search engine to compete with Google.

As first reported by the Wall Street Journal, Perplexity is trying to raise $500 million. Along with other AI companies, it hopes to take away some of Google’s search market share. This will probably be a difficult task, just ask Microsoft.

Microsoft launched its search engine, Bing, in 2009 and is the second most used search engine in the United States. But it only holds 3.74% of the market, compared to 91% for Google. Other search engines control the search market even less.

The video below ranks the best search engines in the world:

Challenges

Perplexity is already facing some challenges. The AI ​​obtains its information mainly from other sources on the Internet. Some media outlets, including the New York Times, have accused Perplexity of using their content without permission. The company has denied the allegations.

As for Google, it may have more problems than the competition. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has examined Google’s activities through an antitrust lens.

In August, a judge ruled that Google’s search engine violated antitrust laws by exploiting its dominant position to crowd out competition and stop innovation. The company appeals.

A study published by Bond, an investment company, indicates that Google’s search engine processes approximately 8.5 billion queries per day worldwide.

Marc HuffmanJournalist

Mark Huffman has been a reporter for ConsumerAffairs since 2004. He covers real estate, gas prices and the economy and has reported extensively on negative option sales. He was previously a reporter and editor for the Associated Press in Washington, D.C., a correspondent for Westwoood One Radio Networks and Marketwatch.

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