Perplexity, an AI-focused search startup, released a native Mac app today to compete with other AI apps like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Quora's Poe app. The latter aggregates various large-scale language models.
Perplexity teased the app earlier this month, asking users to sign up for pre-orders to receive notifications when the app becomes available.
The Mac app is free to use, but Perplexity Pro can be purchased for $20 per month or $200 per year. With this subscription, users can benefit from over 300 Pro searches, which provide more detailed search results compared to the free Quick Search pane.
In the Mac version, you can also use keyboard shortcuts to quickly invoke Perplexity search. You can also use shortcuts to access voice mode, file upload, and voice dictation mode. You can also type on the website to upload files and ask questions, but the addition of voice mode and dictation will be helpful for those accustomed to spoken interaction.
The new app also lets you ask follow-up questions and view your conversation history from the sidebar. The company released both an iOS and an Android app last year.
Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Perplexity is seeking to raise $500 million in funding, doubling its valuation to $8 billion. Earlier this month, The New York Times sent a cease-and-desist letter to the company, accusing it of scraping and plagiarism.