Perplexity is an AI-powered answer engine that combines real-time web search with large language models to give concise, sourced answers to questions across many topics. What Perplexity is - It is a search and chat service that responds conversationally while pulling in up-to-date information from the internet, always showing inline citations to its sources. - The service is available on the web and as mobile apps, positioning itself as a way to “ask anything” and get credible, current answers quickly. Key features - Pro/Deep search modes support longer, more complex queries, structured research, and multi-step reasoning for in‑depth topics. - Threaded conversations, follow‑up questions, voice input, and a personal “Library” make it easier to refine answers and revisit past work. - It emphasizes transparency with cited sources in every answer so users can verify claims or read further. Perplexity vs traditional search - Traditional search engines mostly return ranked links, while Perplexity summarizes and explains answers directly, then links out to supporting pages. - This reduces tab‑hopping for tasks like research, fact‑checking, or summarizing long articles, which the service is explicitly designed to streamline.