What Is Perplexity? How to Use the AI Search Engine and What It Can Do in 2026
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AI Friends
2026年4月22日・18分で読める
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Perplexity is a next-generation search engine powered by AI (artificial intelligence: computers that think and work like humans).
Unlike traditional Google Search, it directly gives you answers to your questions.
You can also have conversations with it, much like ChatGPT (a conversational AI), but Perplexity's biggest distinguishing feature is that it cites its sources for every response.
As of April 2026, it handles over 780 million searches per month and has achieved 340% year-over-year growth.
It can search over 50 billion web pages in real time, and its factual accuracy stands at 92%—surpassing ChatGPT's 87%.
There's a free plan available, so anyone can try it with ease.
Perplexity is packed with features that dramatically improve the efficiency of information gathering. Here are five standout features as of 2026.
Pro Search is a feature that automatically runs multiple searches to conduct deeper, more comprehensive research.
For example, if you ask "Tell me about popular cafes in Tokyo," a regular search might look at only one or two sources, but Pro Search automatically checks hundreds of sources to compile the latest and most reliable information.
Even on the free plan, you can use it up to 5 times per day.
Deep Research is a feature that thoroughly investigates complex topics.
For instance, if you ask it to "Research the ethical issues surrounding AI," it will gather information from multiple related perspectives and automatically create a detailed report.
It's ideal for writing university reports or preparing work documents.
A February 2026 update improved its accuracy even further, and it's available up to 3 times per day on the free plan.
Every response from Perplexity includes links to its sources.
Small numbers ([1], [2], etc.) appear within the response text, and clicking them lets you check the original source (news articles, official websites, etc.).
With ChatGPT, you might wonder "Is that information actually true?"—but with Perplexity, you can verify sources yourself, so you can feel confident in what you read.
With Perplexity Pro, you can freely switch between the latest AI models (types of AI that think like humans), including GPT-o4, Claude 3.8 Opus, and Gemini 3 Pro.
You can choose the best AI for your needs—for instance, Claude for difficult logical questions, or GPT for creative ones.
Being able to try out which AI suits you best is another appealing aspect.
Announced in February 2026, this is the latest feature—a multi-model AI agent (an AI that works autonomously) integrating 19 AI models.
Beyond research, it can autonomously handle complex tasks such as coding (programming), image generation, and video production.
Multi-step tasks like "Do market research, create graphs, and compile everything into a report" can be completed with a single instruction.
Even beginners can start using Perplexity in just three steps. Here's how to get started.
Visit Perplexity's official website (perplexity.ai).
It works on both computers and smartphones.
You can start using it right away without creating an account, but registering lets you save your search history, which is convenient.
Registration only requires an email address, and the free plan doesn't require credit card information.
Type your question naturally into the search box.
For example, you can ask things like "What is AI?", "What's the weather today?", or "What programming language would you recommend?"—in natural sentences.
Even for topics where most information is in English, asking in Japanese will get you a response in Japanese.
There's no need to string together keywords like you would with Google.
A response will appear within seconds.
Click the numbers within the response to check the sources.
If you want to know more, you can follow up with questions like "Tell me more" or "Give me a specific example."
Since it understands the flow of the conversation, you don't need to repeat the same explanations over and over.
If you need deeper research, pressing the "Pro Search" button will automatically search multiple sources for you.
Perplexity has its conveniences as well as points to be aware of. Before you start using it, here's what you should know.
Perplexity is especially well-suited for people who prioritize accuracy and those who want to research efficiently. Specifically, it's recommended for:
On the other hand, for those whose main focus is creative work (novels, poetry, brainstorming) or who primarily need code generation for programming, ChatGPT is a better fit.
Because Perplexity specializes in "researching facts," it's not well-suited for creative tasks.
Also, for location-based searches like "restaurants nearby," Google is the better choice.
Perplexity is a next-generation AI-powered search engine that can dramatically improve the efficiency of information gathering. Here are the key takeaways from this article, including the latest information as of April 2026.
Perplexity is an extremely powerful tool, especially for those who prioritize factual accuracy.
Since there's a free plan available, we recommend visiting the official site (perplexity.ai) and trying it out for yourself.
Instead of searching like you would on Google, try asking questions in natural language—as if you were talking to a friend.
You should get reliable, well-sourced answers you can trust.
This article is a cross-post from AI Friends.
