Perplexity CEO Srinivas on Winning Search With AI

Summary

In this insightful conversation, the founder of Perplexity reflects on their journey from interning at Google DeepMind to founding a multibillion-dollar startup that challenges industry giants like Google. Perplexity re-imagines search by focusing on trust, accuracy, and the blending of AI with real-time browsing. The company’s innovative approach includes an AI-powered browser and partnerships with major hardware makers like Motorola and Samsung. Despite the challenges of raising funds and competing against tech giants, the vision remains clear: to reshape how we interact with the internet while prioritizing transparency and user trust.

Takeaways

• 😀 The founder of Perplexity was an intern at Google DeepMind in 2019 and had no plans of creating a startup to compete with Google.
• 😀 Perplexity was designed as a new AI-powered answering machine with a focus on providing answers based on trusted sources.
• 😀 Despite early skepticism from investors, Perplexity succeeded by offering a search experience that prioritizes accuracy over simply presenting links.
• 😀 Perplexity's approach to AI search is different from Google’s, as it avoids AI ‘hallucinations’ by citing sources and summarizing trusted human content.
• 😀 The initial idea behind Perplexity was not to replace Google but to build a tool that the founder and their friends found genuinely useful.
• 😀 Perplexity’s success led to rapid growth, with 780 million queries per month in May and a projected 1 billion queries per week within a year.
• 😀 One of the main differentiators for Perplexity is its new browser, Comet, which combines search, browsing, and actions in one seamless tool.
• 😀 The browser is envisioned as a ‘cognitive operating system’ that makes the internet more proactive and personalized for users.
• 😀 Google is having difficulty integrating new AI features due to its reliance on ad revenue, which prevents major changes to its existing search model.
• 😀 Perplexity's hardware partnerships, such as with Motorola and potentially Samsung, are key to growing its reach and challenging Google’s dominance in mobile search.
• 😀 The company’s focus on accuracy and transparency, along with its revenue-sharing model with content publishers, sets it apart from other AI tools in the market.

Q & A

What motivated you to start Perplexity, and how did your experience at Google DeepMind influence this decision?

The motivation behind starting Perplexity was to build a tool that provided trustworthy and conversational answers. My time at Google DeepMind, where I worked on artificial general intelligence (AGI), made me realize the importance of core AI principles and led me to challenge traditional search models. The experience helped me realize the potential of rethinking how AI and search tools could interact with users.

What is Perplexity, and how is it different from traditional search engines?

Perplexity is an AI-powered answering machine that delivers answers based on trusted sources in a conversational format. Unlike traditional search engines, which rely on links and search results, Perplexity provides direct, summarized answers sourced from reliable content, re-imagining search into a more user-friendly and efficient experience.

Why did you decide not to listen to early critics who suggested making Perplexity more like other AI tools focused on random fun content?

The critics suggested focusing on random fun interactions, but I believed in the core value of creating a tool focused on accuracy and reliable information. I trusted that a solution built around delivering dependable and factual answers would be more beneficial and sustainable in the long run.

How did Perplexity's approach to AI differ from that of Google, and how did it impact its development?

Perplexity took a different approach by focusing on providing real, trusted answers without relying on ad-based revenue models. Google, despite its vast infrastructure and reach, has struggled to make substantial shifts to their core search experience, often prioritizing ad revenue over user-focused innovation. Perplexity, on the other hand, was designed to be a tool that users could trust for accurate information without distraction.

Can you explain the concept of 'Comet' and how it fits into Perplexity's strategy?

Comet is Perplexity's new browser, and it's part of our strategy to rethink how users interact with the internet. By integrating AI into the browsing experience, we aim to offer not just answers but actions, making the internet more accessible and efficient. This hybrid approach helps us blend navigation, information gathering, and task execution into a seamless user experience.

How does Perplexity plan to compete with Google and other major tech companies in the browser and search space?

Perplexity aims to differentiate itself by focusing on accuracy and eliminating the issues of traditional search engines, such as irrelevant ads and the focus on monetization. The browser and search tool integration will be designed to provide users with real-time, trustworthy information, all while prioritizing user experience over ad revenue models.

What role does accurate, trustworthy information play in Perplexity's mission, and how does it influence the AI space?

Accuracy is the cornerstone of Perplexity's mission. We are committed to providing trustworthy information by citing sources directly in our responses. In an era of misinformation, focusing on accuracy and transparency not only builds trust but also positions Perplexity to influence important decision-making across industries like retail, finance, and more.

How does Perplexity's approach to AI differ from other companies in terms of managing information accuracy?

Perplexity prioritizes accuracy and transparency by ensuring that all answers are rooted in reliable, citable sources. Unlike other AI tools that might generate content without clear attribution, we provide a trustworthy experience by focusing on the integrity of the data and its sources.

What kind of growth has Perplexity seen, and what is its strategy for continued expansion?

Perplexity has seen rapid growth, with queries increasing from 3,000 on day one to 30 million a day. Our strategy for continued expansion includes focusing on distribution partnerships, particularly with hardware makers like Motorola and Samsung, as well as enhancing our browser's functionality for infinite retention and user engagement.

How does Perplexity plan to address the challenges of working with major phone manufacturers like Samsung and Google?

Perplexity is working to establish itself as a cognitive operating system for Android devices, aiming to offer a better user experience than Google's assistant. Despite challenges and pressure from Google, the strategy focuses on offering superior technology and a proactive AI experience that phone manufacturers find valuable, ensuring Perplexity's presence on devices like Motorola and Samsung.