Perplexity AI, headquartered in San Francisco, is a fast-growing company redefining how people search for and consume information in the age of large language models. Founded in 2022 by Aravind Srinivas, Denis Yarats, Johnny Ho, and Andy Konwinski, the company set out to build a “search engine for the AI era”—one that emphasizes accuracy, transparency, and conversational exploration over keyword links.
At the core of Perplexity’s platform is an AI-native search assistant that answers user queries with concise, natural-language responses. Unlike traditional search engines, which return lists of links, Perplexity synthesizes information from multiple sources and cites those sources inline. This citation-first approach has earned it a reputation as one of the most trustworthy AI search tools, especially in an ecosystem often criticized for “hallucinations.”
Perplexity integrates retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), pulling real-time information from the web to supplement large language models. This ensures that its responses remain up to date—an area where static LLMs often fall short. The company offers both a free service and Perplexity Pro, a subscription tier that gives users access to multiple models, advanced features, and premium search capabilities.
The platform has gained traction among researchers, professionals, and everyday users who want reliable, sourced answers rather than ads or algorithm-driven ranking. Its rapid user growth has drawn comparisons to early Google, while its transparent business model—subscriptions over ad-based targeting—positions it as a challenger to the dominant search paradigm.
By 2025, Perplexity had emerged as the leading AI-first search engine, widely praised for its focus on trust, usability, and speed. Under the leadership of CEO Aravind Srinivas, the company continues to scale globally, offering a glimpse of what search might look like in the post-Google era.
