Another AI assistant is rolling out for Android, but this one brings the promise of real-world value. The Perplexity Assistant is an AI model that can actually hail rides from Uber and perform tasks through apps on your phone.
We’ve seen the promise of LAMs (large action models) before. The idea is an AI model that can perform tasks on a device. To a degree, Google Gemini is both an LLM and an LAM, allowing you to open apps and complete actions throughout your phone, though it has some limits.
The newest model on the scene seems to be offering Android users an alternative. Perplexity Assistant is launching today for all Android users on the Google Play Store. The app acts as an AI assistant in much the same way Android users are used to. With the press and hold of the power button, Perplexity AI shows up in the bottom third of your screen. You have to set it to replace Gemini, of course.
The most impressive part about Perplexity Assistant is that it’s able to use Android apps for me outside of a specific ecosystem. While it took some trying and failing, eventually I was able to get it to open Uber and find me a ride to the airport — something I haven’t been able to get other assistants to do. It can also play music through Spotify or YouTube, though that isn’t as exciting. It can, however, book dinner reservations using OpenTable, which is pretty neat.
As a direct comparison to Gemini, I found that the information it gave me was a little more nuanced. Asking what was in front of me meant that the camera was opened and the assistant analyzed my surroundings, giving me a good, detailed overview of my coffee cup in front of me that was akin to what Gemini Live would offer me. It’s worth noting that it took several tries for the Perplexity Assistant to understand that I wanted it to analyzed what the camera was looking at. This app is not bug-free by any means, but it shows a lot of promise.
This is something Gemini is able to accomplish in through the Gemini app and wants to further in upcoming updates, but, for now, it takes a little more manual work to get the answer you need.
Perplexity Assistant for Android is free on the Google Play Store, and the free subscription will let you use all of the mentioned features. There is a $19.99/month plan for the Perplexity Pro model.
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