The Perplexity AI app is redefining the role of voice assistants, offering capabilities that surpass Apple’s Siri in several key areas. While it currently lacks support for smart home controls, Perplexity excels in managing tasks such as organizing calendars, composing emails, playing music, and answering complex questions. Its seamless integration with iPhone features highlights the fantastic potential of large language models, setting a new benchmark for voice assistant functionality. The video below from Stephen Robles givs us a look at Perplexity on the iPhone.
What Makes Perplexity Stand Out?
Perplexity is designed to enhance productivity and simplify daily tasks through a range of advanced features. Here’s what it offers:
- Effortless task management: Add reminders and create calendar events with precision and ease.
- Advanced email composition: Draft emails effortlessly, even when handling nuanced or detailed instructions.
- Contextual music assistance: Process music requests, such as identifying songs based on vague descriptions or partial lyrics.
- Streamlined navigation and planning: Assist with restaurant searches, navigation, and ride bookings, simplifying the initial steps of these processes.
Although some tasks, like completing ride bookings or reservations, require manual input in other apps, Perplexity significantly reduces the effort involved in setting them up, saving valuable time.
How Does It Compare to Siri?
When compared directly with Siri, Perplexity demonstrates a clear advantage in natural language understanding and contextual awareness. Siri often struggles with ambiguous or complex requests, while Perplexity handles them with remarkable ease. For instance:
- Accurate responses: It answers specific, knowledge-based questions with precision, even when the queries are intricate.
- Effective interpretation: It processes vague or incomplete queries effectively, showcasing the strength of its large language model.
These capabilities make Perplexity a more intuitive and reliable assistant for managing intricate tasks, positioning it as a superior alternative for users seeking advanced functionality.
Limitations to Consider
Despite its impressive features, Perplexity has some limitations that users should be aware of:
- Lack of smart home integration: It cannot control smart home devices, a feature Siri supports.
- Manual input for certain tasks: Actions like playing podcasts or completing ride bookings require additional manual steps to finalize.
These gaps highlight areas where Perplexity could expand its capabilities, leaving room for future updates to address these shortcomings and further enhance its utility.
Customization and Seamless Integration
Perplexity integrates seamlessly with iPhone features, offering a high degree of customization to suit individual preferences. Users can map it to the iPhone’s action button for quick and convenient access, making it a practical alternative to Siri. Additionally, advanced shortcuts allow users to automate tasks such as:
- Skipping podcast ads: Save time by automating ad-skipping during podcast playback.
- Location-based actions: Open a garage door automatically based on location or Bluetooth connectivity.
These integrations demonstrate how Perplexity adapts to your specific needs, streamlining workflows and enhancing everyday convenience.
Mastering General Knowledge and Complex Queries
One of Perplexity’s standout features is its ability to handle complex questions and interpret vague or incomplete requests. By using its advanced large language model, it delivers accurate and relevant responses, making it an invaluable tool for general knowledge inquiries. Whether you’re seeking detailed explanations, quick facts, or nuanced insights, Perplexity consistently provides reliable and thoughtful information.
The Future of Voice Assistants
Perplexity represents a significant step forward in the evolution of voice assistants, showcasing the potential of AI-driven technology to reshape user expectations. Its advanced natural language understanding and contextual awareness highlight areas where traditional assistants like Siri could improve. As Apple and other tech companies continue to explore advancements in AI, Perplexity sets a high standard for what modern voice assistants can achieve.
The capabilities of Perplexity signal a new era for voice assistants, offering users a glimpse into the future of AI-powered convenience and functionality. With its innovative features and seamless integration, Perplexity is leading the way in redefining how we interact with technology.
Here are more guides from our previous articles and guides related to Large Language Models that you may find helpful.
- Learn how AI large language models work
- How AI Agents are powered by large language models
- How to build knowledge graphs with large language models (LLMs
- How to Run Large Language Models Locally with Ollama for Free
- How to Run Large Language Models on Your Laptop
Source & Image Credit: Stephen Robles
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