P
AI assistants & research
Perplexity
AI answer engine for research and step-by-step walkthroughs.
AI answer engine for research and step-by-step walkthroughs.
Perplexity is an AI answer engine built for research. Instead of handing you a list of links like a traditional search engine, it searches the web in real time and writes a direct, cited answer you can check against the sources. You can keep asking follow-up questions in the same thread, and it pulls fresh information each time rather than relying only on what it already knows.
It's also strong at step-by-step instructions, laying out a process in order instead of burying it in a paragraph. Perplexity has a free tier, plus a paid Pro plan for more advanced models.
In Episode 002, where Ian Kilpatrick built GotoBuild, an AI workout planner, in under an hour, Perplexity was the tool he named at the close as his go-to for research and for getting clear, step-by-step instructions. When you're moving that fast on a build, you don't have time to sift through ten search results and piece together your own answer; you need one clean explanation with the reasoning already worked out.
That's why it stays in the stack: when a build hits a decision point, like which approach to take or how something actually works, Perplexity gives you one direct, sourced answer instead of a dozen browser tabs to reconcile. The practical takeaway is to make it your first stop any time you need to research something quickly or want a process explained in plain, ordered steps, before you go digging anywhere else.
Perplexity is one of the easier AI tools to pick up if you've ever used a search engine. You type a question in plain English, get a direct answer with sources listed below it, and ask follow-ups the same way you would in a chat. There's no setup and no prompt-writing skill required, and the free tier covers most everyday research. If you already Google things, you already know how to use this.
Genuine substitutes for Perplexity that we've also run on stage:
Yes, Perplexity has a free tier. Free tier; Pro plan for advanced models.
Free tier; Pro plan for advanced models.
Ian Kilpatrick used it in Episode 002 for research and step-by-step walkthroughs; Ian Kilpatrick used it in Session 006 for referenced as an AI answer engine to optimize visibility for.
Perplexity is one of the easier AI tools to pick up if you've ever used a search engine. You type a question in plain English, get a direct answer with sources listed below it, and ask follow-ups the same way you would in a chat. There's no setup and no prompt-writing skill required, and the free tier covers most everyday research. If you already Google things, you already know how to use this.
Tools we've also used live that can stand in for Perplexity: ChatGPT.
| Category | AI assistants & research |
|---|---|
| Pricing | Free tier; Pro plan for advanced models. |
| Free tier | Yes |
| Used live in | Episode 002 and Session 006 |
| Operator(s) | Ian Kilpatrick |
| Website | www.perplexity.ai |
On AI4NTP, every tool is shown live by a real operator. These are the people who demoed Perplexity on stage.
A designer, developer, and serial entrepreneur writing code since age 10. He has worked with Disney, the Golden Globes, and the AMAs, and now runs a fleet of AI agents doing real work every day.
Explore other tools we've demoed live at AI4NTP:
See tools like Perplexity set up live, step by step, on AI4NTP, or get hands-on help putting it to work.