Perplexity Launches “Perplexity Computer,” an Agentic Tool Uniting 19 AI Models
Key Points
- Perplexity Computer unifies 19 AI models to run complex, autonomous workflows.
- Available exclusively to Perplexity Max subscribers at $200 per month.
- Runs entirely in the cloud, aiming to reduce security concerns.
- Live demo at the June 9, 2026 briefing was canceled due to product flaws.
- Company shifts focus from mass user metrics to enterprise research users.
- Multi‑model orchestration allows automatic selection of the best model per task.
- New Draco benchmark shows Perplexity’s deep‑research outpacing competitors.
- Upcoming iOS release of the Comet browser and the Ask developers’ conference.
- Executives dismiss complaints about new rate limits on free and paid tiers.
Perplexity announced the rollout of Perplexity Computer, a cloud‑based agentic system that can orchestrate 19 different AI models to execute complex workflows. The service is currently limited to the company’s $200/month Perplexity Max subscription tier and is positioned for enterprise users making high‑impact decisions. Perplexity Computer can create sub‑agents, select the optimal model for a given task, and deliver results as websites or visualizations. The launch follows a background briefing where a live demo was canceled due to product flaws discovered hours before the event. Perplexity aims to differentiate itself by focusing on multi‑model orchestration and deep‑research capabilities.
Perplexy Introduces a New Agentic Platform
Perplexity unveiled Perplexity Computer, a cloud‑only tool that it describes as “unifying every current AI capability into a single system.” The platform can invoke 19 distinct AI models, automatically choosing the most suitable one for each sub‑task and even spawning sub‑agents to handle specialized problems. Example workflows shown on the company’s website demonstrate the system gathering statistical, financial, or legal data, performing analysis, and publishing the output as finished websites or visualizations.
Availability and Pricing
Perplexity Computer is available now, but only to subscribers of the highest‑tier plan, Perplexity Max, which costs $200 per month. The service runs entirely in the cloud, a design choice that Perplexity says may mitigate some security concerns associated with other agentic tools.
Briefing Event and Demo Cancellation
The company invited members of the press to a background briefing in Boston, MA, on June 9, 2026. Executives intended to demonstrate the new tool, but the live demo was canceled after flaws were discovered in the product just hours before the event. The briefing focused on the product’s capabilities, the company’s strategic direction, and upcoming initiatives such as a developers’ conference called Ask, scheduled for March 11 in San Francisco.
Strategic Shift Toward Enterprise and Research
Perplexity executives emphasized a shift away from mass‑market metrics like monthly active users. Instead, the company is targeting a “more boutique set of users” who need AI assistance for “GDP‑moving decisions.” The focus is on deep‑research subscriptions for enterprise customers. Executives noted that the company no longer relies on external APIs for its web index, having built its own AI‑optimized search API.
Multi‑Model Orchestration as a Core Value
According to Perplexity, the future of AI lies in multi‑model orchestration. The platform observes that users frequently switch between models to achieve the best results: visual outputs often go to Gemini Flash, software engineering tasks to Claude Sonnet 4.5, and medical research to GPT‑5.1. Perplexity Computer can automatically allocate queries to the most appropriate model, and it also offers a “Model Council” feature that lets users query multiple models simultaneously.
Performance Benchmarks and Competitive Positioning
The company recently released a benchmark called Draco, which measures performance on complex research tasks. In Draco’s results, Perplexity’s own deep‑research offering outperformed competitors such as Gemini. Perplexity also highlighted its ability to run modified open‑source Chinese‑built LLMs to provide cheaper answers, a practice it previously faced criticism for when not disclosed.
Product Roadmap and Market Reception
Beyond Perplexity Computer, the firm announced that its Comet browser will arrive on iOS next month. It also plans to host the Ask developers’ conference to promote third‑party use of its API. Some users have expressed frustration over new rate limits on free and subscription tiers, but executives dismissed these complaints as “completely false.”
Overall Outlook
Perplexity’s latest offering represents an evolution from its early‑stage search‑engine‑like answer service and the Comet browser launched last summer. By concentrating on enterprise‑grade, multi‑model AI orchestration, the company hopes to maintain high margins and compete with larger players that boast massive user bases, such as OpenAI, which reports 800 million weekly users.