Perplexity AI, led by Aravind Srinivas, is rapidly rolling out new features for its AI-powered search engine. The latest move in this expansion was confirmed by Srinivas on Monday, announcing that Perplexity’s search engine will soon be integrated with WhatsApp.
This update follows a recent announcement that Perplexity AI is now functional on Telegram, including in group chats. Interestingly, Elon Musk’s xAI chatbot, Grok, has also been made available to Telegram’s premium users. These developments reflect a broader trend: AI tools are increasingly entering personal messaging platforms, which may become the next major battleground for AI innovation.
ChatGPT is already accessible via WhatsApp, and Meta AI is integrated across Meta platforms like Instagram and Messenger. Previously, Perplexity AI and Grok were among the first chatbots to be directly usable on X (formerly Twitter), often used for fact-checking and quick information during social media discussions.
What is Perplexity AI?
It’s an AI-powered search engine that delivers direct answers by tapping into multiple foundational AI models. One of the early adopters in AI-driven search, Perplexity inspired tech giants like Google and OpenAI to explore similar tools. It’s currently accessible through its website or app, with some advanced features reserved for Pro subscribers.
The AI competition is intensifying.
Since DeepSeek AI’s rise in January, the pace of innovation in the AI space has accelerated. OpenAI has launched its first free reasoning model, o3-Mini, and enhanced GPT-4o with built-in image generation. Grok recently introduced its Grok 3 model and made most of its tools freely available. Google, too, has made waves with its Gemini 2.5 Pro release.
As companies race to keep users engaged, the pressure to innovate quickly has never been higher. DeepSeek is also reportedly preparing its next-gen models, potentially adding more disruption to this rapidly evolving space.