Perplexity’s AI Upgrade Marred by Plagiarism Accusations Amid Enhanced Search Capabilities

Perplexity, an AI search startup facing ethical questions, has launched a significant upgrade to its Pro Search tool, claiming it can now handle more complex queries and provide in-depth answers by breaking down problems step-by-step.

Enhanced capabilities: Pro Search’s new features aim to improve its ability to tackle advanced research and mathematical tasks:

• The tool can now understand when a question requires planning and work through goals in a step-by-step manner, synthesizing detailed answers more efficiently.
• Examples showcased by Perplexity demonstrate Pro Search’s ability to break down complex queries, such as determining the best time and locations to view the northern lights in Iceland or Finland, by conducting multiple targeted searches and compiling a comprehensive response.
• Pro Search also boasts improved math and programming capabilities, enabling better data analysis, code debugging, and content generation.

Plagiarism controversy: Despite Perplexity’s claims of advanced AI capabilities, the company faces accusations of unethical practices:

• Recent reports from Wired and Forbes have accused Perplexity of committing plagiarism, with Wired referring to the self-proclaimed “answer engine” as a “Bullshit Machine.”
• The reports allege that Perplexity uses misleading animations to misrepresent its processes and employs data scrapers that bypass rules in robots.txt files, which are meant to control web crawler access to websites.

Pricing and availability: Users can access Pro Search through Perplexity’s tiered subscription model:

• A free account grants users five searches per day, allowing them to test the tool’s capabilities.
• For more extensive usage, Perplexity offers a $20 per month subscription that includes 600 Pro searches per day.

Scrutinizing Perplexity’s claims: While the upgrades to Pro Search appear impressive, the plagiarism accusations raise concerns about the company’s ethics and the true extent of its AI’s capabilities:

• The allegations of plagiarism and misrepresentation call into question the legitimacy of Perplexity’s claims regarding its AI’s advanced problem-solving skills.
• As the AI industry continues to evolve rapidly, it is crucial for companies to prioritize transparency and adhere to ethical standards to maintain trust and credibility among users and the broader public.
• Further investigation into Perplexity’s practices and the performance of its AI tools is necessary to determine the validity of the company’s assertions and address the ethical concerns raised by recent reports.