A groundbreaking startup called Perplexity is posing a significant challenge to Google, with its AI-based search engine that combines chatbot functionality with real-time information and comprehensive sources. Led by CEO Avarind Srinivas, a former OpenAI researcher, Perplexity aims to revolutionize how people access information online and change the way we consume and share knowledge.
Since its inception in August 2022, Perplexity has experienced remarkable growth, boasting 10 million monthly active users and over a million installations of its mobile apps on both iOS and Android platforms. Last year alone, it processed over half a billion queries, highlighting its increasing popularity.
To accelerate its expansion, Perplexity recently secured a significant investment of $73.6 million from a group of prominent investors, including powerhouse venture capital firm IVP, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, leading AI chip giant Nvidia, and Shopify’s co-founder Tobias Lütke. This substantial funding places Perplexity’s valuation at approximately $520 million.
While Google’s dominance in the online search market remains unchallenged, Perplexity’s distinctive approach and cutting-edge AI technology offer a glimpse into the future of information retrieval. With AI becoming increasingly prevalent, Perplexity CEO Avarind Srinivas predicts that Google will eventually be seen as outdated, while Perplexity will emerge as the next generation and future of search engines.
Perplexity’s Pro version, priced at $20 per month, allows users to select from a range of language models, including esteemed options like OpenAI’s GPT-4, Anthropic’s Claude 2.1, Google’s Gemini, and Perplexity’s proprietary LLM Perplexity. Although Perplexity’s current revenue from subscriptions and AI software sales is modest, the startup plans to utilize the new funding to expand its team, adding roughly 22 more employees by the end of the year.
While Perplexity’s ambitious goal of dethroning Google may seem far-fetched, the potential disruption caused by AI-driven chatbots signals a significant behavioral shift in how people access information online. As users increasingly seek direct answers to their queries, the conventional method of scanning through multiple web pages and navigating sponsored links may become antiquated.
Jeff Bezos, known for his sharp intuition and successful bets, recognizes the potential of Perplexity to ride the AI wave. Just as he foresaw the exponential growth of web usage in the 1990s, Bezos’ investment in Perplexity demonstrates his belief in the transformative power of AI and its ability to reshape the future. As Perplexity continues to evolve and refine its technology, only time will tell if it can disrupt the search engine landscape dominated by Google.
The source of the article is from the blog krama.net