Perplexity launches a mobile assistant for Android devices.
The competition among artificial intelligence assistants.
Perplexity has launched its artificial intelligence assistant, a "response engine," on Android devices. This new tool is capable of answering general questions and performing various tasks on behalf of the user, such as drafting emails, setting reminders, booking dinners, and more. What sets it apart is its multimodal capability, which allows users to ask questions about what is on their screen or even use the device's camera for the assistant to "see" what is in front of them.
In a demonstration provided by the company, a user requested transportation. After obtaining information about the destination, the assistant automatically opened Uber to show available options. During testing, the response was quick; for example, when asked to play a “good podcast,” the phone began playing the latest episode of The Joe Rogan Experience on YouTube. Although its content selection might be considered questionable, the speed was notable.
Additionally, the assistant used the phone's camera to correctly identify a Pokémon promotional package received at a McDonald's, a remarkable achievement since the promotion had only started a few days prior. It also helped draft and send a text message to a family member, using contact book data.
Apart from this, during the announcement of the Galaxy S25, which incorporates Gemini, Google also revealed that its AI assistant can now perform tasks across multiple applications and handle multimodal requests. However, the Perplexity assistant has limitations, as it cannot access applications like Slack or Reddit, and it does not currently allow comments on YouTube videos. According to Sara Platnick, a spokesperson for Perplexity, the assistant is currently compatible with Spotify, YouTube, Uber, in addition to email, messaging, and clock applications. Platnick added that efforts are being made to expand the assistant's compatibility and functionality.
This assistant can be activated through the Perplexity app, which will guide the user to replace the phone's default assistant. To access it, simply swipe up in the left corner of the screen or press and hold the home button. However, for now, the assistant is not available for iPhone devices, although Platnick indicated that they are willing to implement it if Apple grants them the necessary permissions.
