ITMO Authors

Perplexity: the GPT Chat for Scholars

2025-07-21 17:00
Perplexity AI is an AI-powered search engine and chatbot that uses advanced technologies of natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning to provide accurate and comprehensive answers to user queries. Perplexity’s creators propose thinking of the tool as a research partner that helps you save time.
The name «perplexity» represents the capability of providing users with accurate answers to their questions. The company's mission is making knowledge accessible and facilitating the study for everyone.

How does Perplexity work?

Perplexity is a search engine that uses advanced language models GPT-4 Omni and Claude 3 to deeply analyze your query and provide a comprehensive answer.
The process includes:
  • analysis: Perplexity uses artificial intelligence to understand your query.
  • search: the system collects the information from the web.
  • summarizing: Perplexity combines the most relevant information into a coherent and understandable answer.
  • listing references: each answer contains links to the original sources, making it easier for you to verify the information or to provide a deeper study.
Features of Perplexity:
  • Conversational style: the system responds in a clear and accessible manner, as if you were talking to an expert.
  • Transparency of sources: all responses contain links to the original sources to verify the information.
  • Contextual memory: you can refine your queries, and the platform will remember previous discussions and offer the relevant results.

What advantages does Perplexity have over Chat GPT?

Perplexity is superior to other language models, such as ChatGPT, in several aspects:
  • it provides links to original sources and free access to the current data;
  • it has a convenient and intuitive interface and a «Focus» mode to search for the information in some specific sources, for example, among academic papers (see the image below);
  • it offers to provide the context (a list of related questions for study under «Related»).

What can Perplexity do?

Perplexity is a tool for making your research easier and for finding creative inspiration. It provides quick and accurate answers to a wide range of questions. The answers are given with the links to sources for deeper insights. The app also offers an instant overview of articles and web pages, which is ideal for quickly summarizing ideas.
Perplexity is used in both professional and creative fields. Here are some examples:
  • summarizing articles and web pages;
  • improving educational processes, making lesson plans and creating syllabi;
  • conducting legal research and financial analysis;
  • creating scripts;
  • writing emails;
  • creating spreadsheets;
  • analyzing videos by links;
  • providing customer support.

How to make queries for Perplexity?

Similar to ChatGPT and other systems, queries to Perplexity should be as detailed as possible. The developers provide guidelines for creating them as well as the examples of successful or unsuccessful prompts.
Basic tips for writing a query:
  • accurately state the task for the chatbot;
  • provide some background information;
  • be as specific as possible in your request;
  • use keywords, so Perplexity can focus on the important details;
  • specify the desired form of the answer;
  • use simple language and focus on solving one specific problem rather than several of them at once.
For each separate dialogue, a separate thread is created in the system.

How to use Perplexity

You can use the chatbot through the official website perplexity.ai, or else use the Google Chrome extension and iOS app.
  • Go to perplexity.ai.
  • In the window in the lower right corner, log in using your Google account, Apple ID, or email address,
  • Click «Continue», select «Continue with Free».
  • You are referred to the homepage, where you can ask questions directly in the chatbot window.
You can also try the Pro mode. It provides access to GPT-4o, Claude-3, LLaMa 3, and other models. This mode can improve your query, giving some "hints" of how to state your ideas more accurately.
You can make five advanced queries per day free of charge. For $20 a month, you can perform up to 600 queries, upload and analyze an unlimited number of files, and generate up to 50 images using Playground AI, DALL-E, SDXL, and other tools.
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