Perplexity Launches AI 'Computer' for Workflows
AI startup Perplexity has launched "Perplexity Computer," a system designed to autonomously create and execute entire business workflows. The platform integrates multiple AI models to orchestrate complex tasks, positioning itself as a next-generation AI agent for automating white-collar jobs.
Perplexity, founded in 2022 by former AI researchers from Google, OpenAI, and DeepMind, reached a $20 billion valuation by September 2025. The company has attracted significant investment from figures like Jeff Bezos and major tech companies including Nvidia and Databricks. The company's CEO, Aravind Srinivas, earned his PhD from UC Berkeley and held research positions at OpenAI, Google Brain, and DeepMind before co-founding the startup. Perplexity has raised a total of $1.22 billion over ten funding rounds to challenge established search and AI players. Perplexity Computer differentiates itself by orchestrating 19 specialized AI models simultaneously, including OpenAI's GPT-5.2, Google's Gemini, and Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.6. The system acts as a "reasoning engine," assigning sub-tasks like research, coding, or data analysis to the most suitable model for the job. These workflows execute within a secure cloud sandbox equipped with its own file system and browser access. This allows the AI agent to perform complex, long-running tasks autonomously, only notifying the user when direct input is required. Initial access to Perplexity Computer is limited to subscribers of its "Max" plan, which costs $200 per month. The service operates on a credit-based system, with plans to expand access to lower-priced Pro and Enterprise tiers in the future.
