What is Perplexity — and why would I use it?
Perplexity is an AI-powered search tool. It searches the web in real time and gives you a summary of what it finds — with links to the sources it used.
That last part is what makes it different.
How it differs from ChatGPT
ChatGPT is a conversation tool. It was trained on a large dataset up to a certain point in time, and it draws on that training to answer questions. It doesn’t search the internet in real time (unless you have a paid subscription with browsing enabled). This means it can sometimes give you outdated information without flagging that it might be out of date.
Perplexity searches the web every time you ask a question. The answer it gives you is based on current sources, and it shows you exactly which sources it used — so you can check them.
When Perplexity is more useful than ChatGPT
Current events and recent developments — anything where the situation might have changed in the last few months.
Research where you want to verify sources — rather than trusting a summary you can’t check.
Finding out what’s actually being said about a topic right now — company news, industry developments, recent announcements.
Fact-checking — when you want to understand where a claim comes from.
When ChatGPT is still better
For tasks that involve writing, structuring, drafting, or thinking through problems — ChatGPT and Claude remain more capable conversation partners.
Perplexity is a research tool. ChatGPT is a thinking tool. They’re complementary, not competing.
How to use it
Go to perplexity.ai. No account needed to start. Type your question as you would type it to a knowledgeable colleague.
Try: “What are the most significant changes to [your industry] in the last six months?”
Read the answer. Then look at the sources listed below it. Click through to anything that seems particularly relevant.
That’s the workflow. Research in seconds, sources included.
“Perplexity is my first stop for anything where I need current, reliable information. Before an important meeting. Before a negotiation. When a client mentions something I haven’t heard of.
It doesn’t replace careful research for anything truly high-stakes. But for the kind of background understanding that used to take twenty minutes of browser tabs, it takes about two.”
— Anna
Frequently asked questions
Is Perplexity free?
Yes — the basic version is free to use without an account. A paid Pro version offers additional features including more detailed answers and access to different AI models.
Is Perplexity accurate?
More reliably current than ChatGPT, because it searches live sources. But like all AI tools, it can misinterpret or misrepresent sources. Always check the original source for anything consequential.
Should I use Perplexity instead of Google?
For research questions where you want a summary with context, often yes. For finding specific websites, official pages, or local results, Google still has advantages.
How is Perplexity different from Google?
Google returns a list of links. Perplexity returns a synthesised answer with links. The difference is whether you want to do the reading yourself or want a starting summary you can then verify.
That Clicked is a plain-English AI confidence platform for professionals over 50. Module 2 covers Perplexity, ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, and Gemini — which ones to use and when.
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