Perplexity AI has introduced Perplexity Assistant, a new agentic AI for Android devices. This marks a significant shift for Perplexity, evolving from an answer engine to a fully integrated assistant capable of performing multi-step actions and interacting with other apps.
Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas announced the launch on X (formerly Twitter), highlighting the Assistant’s ability to handle tasks and access the internet through the Perplexity mobile app. This functionality builds upon their existing “answer engine” model.
Similar to ChatGPT’s Tasks feature, Perplexity Assistant allows users to set reminders and schedule future actions, such as creating calendar entries for upcoming events. It also facilitates immediate actions like ordering rideshares or searching for music. Furthermore, by accessing the user’s camera, the Assistant can identify nearby restaurants and even make reservations.
Available for free within the Perplexity mobile app, the Assistant supports 15 languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Hindi. The compatibility and interaction with other on-device agentic AIs, like Gemini or ChatGPT Tasks, remain to be observed.
The rise of AI agents in the generative AI landscape is undeniable. These streamlined models, often derived from larger LLMs like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini, focus on interpreting data and taking autonomous action rather than content generation. These actions range from simple tasks like transcribing Zoom calls to complex multi-step operations such as planning meals, ordering groceries, and sending invitations.
The AI agent market is becoming increasingly competitive. Anthropic’s Computer Use API, allowing Claude to control computers through emulated human actions, kicked off the trend in November. Microsoft introduced Copilot Actions in the same month, rolling it out to business and enterprise users in January. Nvidia followed with its Nemotron LLMs at CES 2025, and OpenAI recently unveiled its “research preview” AI agent, Operator.
Perplexity Assistant’s launch positions the company as a contender in the rapidly evolving field of AI agents, offering Android users a new way to integrate AI assistance into their daily lives.
