Perplexity launches Computer feature to let users pick the best AI model for each task
Key Points
- Computer routes requests to Gemini, Grok, or ChatGPT 5.2 based on task type.
- Opus 4.6 serves as the core reasoning engine behind the system.
- Integrates with Gmail, Outlook, GitHub, Slack, Notion, and Salesforce.
- Can draft documents, create slides, send emails, and schedule offline tasks.
- Perplexity Max subscribers can use the feature now; Enterprise Max access coming soon.
- Users may select models to control token usage and cost.
- The platform treats AI models as specialized tools rather than interchangeable services.
Perplexity introduced Computer, a new tool that routes user requests to the most suitable AI model. The system combines Gemini for deep research, Grok for fast lightweight jobs, and ChatGPT 5.2 for long‑context tasks, all built on the Opus 4.6 reasoning engine. It integrates with popular productivity apps such as Gmail, Outlook, GitHub, Slack, Notion, and Salesforce, allowing users to draft documents, create slides, send emails, and schedule offline tasks without manual hand‑offs. Subscribers to Perplexity Max can try the feature immediately, with Enterprise Max access slated for the near future. The rollout highlights a shift toward model‑specific orchestration rather than treating AI as a single interchangeable service.
Feature Overview
Perplexity announced the launch of Computer, a platform that dynamically selects the optimal artificial‑intelligence model for each sub‑task in a user request. The system runs Opus 4.6 as its core reasoning engine but hands off specific jobs to specialist models. Gemini is employed for deep research, Grok handles quick, lightweight tasks, and ChatGPT 5.2 manages operations that require long‑context recall and broad searches. By leveraging the strengths of each model, Computer aims to deliver more efficient and accurate outcomes.
Model Specialization
The design treats AI models as a toolbox rather than a single appliance. Users can see which model is handling a given sub‑task and can even choose a cheaper or faster option when token budgets are a concern. This flexibility reflects Perplexity’s view that models are increasingly specialized, with each excelling in distinct domains such as research depth, speed, or contextual memory.
User Benefits
Computer integrates with widely used productivity services, including Gmail, Outlook, GitHub, Slack, Notion, and Salesforce. Through these connections, the platform can write documents, build slide decks, send emails, and schedule tasks that run while the user is offline. A single prompt can trigger a chain of actions—research, analysis, document creation, email delivery, and follow‑up—without the user needing to intervene between steps.
Availability and Pricing
The feature is live today for Perplexity Max subscribers accessing the desktop web version. Enterprise Max users will receive access in the near term. Perplexity emphasizes that the system is model‑agnostic, allowing future swaps of underlying engines as better models become available.
Industry Implications
By orchestrating multiple AI models, Perplexity challenges the notion that AI services are becoming interchangeable commodities. Instead, the company argues that specialization will drive future development, and a smart system should match tasks to the model best suited for them. The rollout provides an early test of whether such orchestration saves time or money for users, and it sets a precedent for other AI providers to consider multi‑model workflows.