Perplexity

Perplexity, from Perplexity AI. Quick answers with links to the sources behind them.

What it does well

• Getting oriented on an unfamiliar topic fast
• Finding recent sources to read properly
• Comparing how different outlets report a story

What it does poorly

• Academic literature reviews on its own
• Anything where one bad source matters

What makes it different

Search-first: every answer is built from live web results and shows its sources inline.

Quick start

1. Ask a question you already know the answer to and grade it.
2. Click every citation in one answer. Note which ones actually support the claim.
3. Switch the focus to academic sources and compare the results.

Strengths and limits

• Strength: Fresh information
• Strength: Visible sources
• Strength: Fast
• Limit: Only as good as what ranks in search
• Limit: Can blend sources into claims none of them made

Privacy

Treat it like a search engine. Don't paste private material.

Academic integrity

Cite the original source you read, not Perplexity.