Perplexity AI, the company behind the popular AI chatbot, has launched two new features designed to offer users greater control over their information sources: Internal Knowledge Search and Spaces. CEO Aravind Srinivas announced the launch on X (formerly Twitter), highlighting the ability to search both the web and internal team files within a single platform. This new functionality combines the existing capability of uploading personal files with broader web searches, providing a more comprehensive research experience.
Internal Knowledge Search: Streamlining Research
Perplexity AI emphasizes the productivity gains offered by Internal Knowledge Search, allowing users to access both internal and external data sources within one platform. The company’s blog post highlights early success stories, including financial services firms using the feature to enhance due diligence by integrating internal research, notes, and current industry news. This consolidated approach promises a more efficient research process.
Spaces: A Collaborative AI Hub
The second new feature, Spaces, functions as an AI-powered research and collaboration hub. It enables users to tailor Perplexity’s AI assistant to specific project needs. This customization includes selecting the preferred Large Language Model (LLM) and defining how the model responds to user input and instructions. This provides a flexible and adaptable research environment, catering to diverse project requirements.
Privacy and Enterprise Focus
Addressing data privacy concerns, Perplexity AI automatically opts out Enterprise Pro customers from having their private data used for AI training. Regular Pro users can manually opt out through settings. The company underscores its commitment to data security and privacy, aiming to provide a safe environment for sensitive research. Future plans include integrating Crunchbase and FactSet for Enterprise Pro subscribers, further expanding the available resources.
Pricing and Availability
These new features are initially available for Perplexity Pro and Enterprise Pro subscribers. The Pro plan costs $20 per month, comparable to individual tier subscriptions from competitors like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic. The Enterprise Pro plan is priced at $40 per user per month.
Perplexity’s Ongoing Copyright Challenges
Despite its popularity among users, Perplexity has faced criticism and legal challenges related to data sourcing. In 2024, accusations of content scraping and plagiarism arose from various media outlets, including CNBC, Forbes, The New York Times, Conde Nast, and Wired. Forbes even threatened legal action over the alleged near-verbatim reproduction of a paywalled report. These ongoing copyright issues present a significant challenge for Perplexity’s continued growth and development.
Conclusion
Perplexity AI’s new Internal Knowledge Search and Spaces features represent a significant step toward enhanced research capabilities within the platform. By consolidating internal and external data sources, and providing customizable AI models, Perplexity aims to boost productivity and cater to diverse user needs. However, the company must address the ongoing copyright concerns to secure its long-term success and maintain user trust.
