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.
Recent Stories
DOE fusion roadmap targets 2030s commercial deployment as AI drives $9B investment
The Department of Energy has released a new roadmap targeting commercial-scale fusion power deployment by the mid-2030s, though the plan lacks specific funding commitments and relies on scientific breakthroughs that have eluded researchers for decades. The strategy emphasizes public-private partnerships and positions AI as both a research tool and motivation for developing fusion energy to meet data centers' growing electricity demands. The big picture: The DOE's roadmap aims to "deliver the public infrastructure that supports the fusion private sector scale up in the 2030s," but acknowledges it cannot commit to specific funding levels and remains subject to Congressional appropriations. Why...
Oct 17, 2025Tying it all together: Credo’s purple cables power the $4B AI data center boom
Credo, a Silicon Valley semiconductor company specializing in data center cables and chips, has seen its stock price more than double this year to $143.61, following a 245% surge in 2024. The company's signature purple cables, which cost between $300-$500 each, have become essential infrastructure for AI data centers, positioning Credo to capitalize on the trillion-dollar AI infrastructure expansion as hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Elon Musk's xAI rapidly build out massive computing facilities. What you should know: Credo's active electrical cables (AECs) are becoming indispensable for connecting the massive GPU clusters required for AI training and inference. The company...
Oct 17, 2025Vatican launches Latin American AI network for human development
The Vatican hosted a two-day conference bringing together 50 global experts to explore how artificial intelligence can advance peace, social justice, and human development. The event launched the Latin American AI Network for Integral Human Development and established principles for ethical AI governance that prioritize human dignity over technological advancement. What you should know: The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the Vatican's research body for social issues, organized the "Digital Rerum Novarum" conference on October 16-17, combining academic research with practical AI applications. Participants included leading experts from MIT, Microsoft, Columbia University, the UN, and major European institutions. The conference...