Perplexity AI officially launched Perplexity Computer, a “general-purpose digital worker” that pivots the company from an answer engine to an autonomous execution engine.
Despite the name, it is not a physical piece of hardware. Instead, it is a cloud-based agentic platform that can research, code, design, and deploy entire projects on your behalf with minimal human supervision.
How it Works: The “19-Model” Orchestration
Unlike standard chatbots that rely on one model, Perplexity Computer acts as a conductor for an entire orchestra of AI specialists. When you describe a final goal, the system breaks it into subtasks and assigns them to the best model for that specific job:
- Core Reasoning: Powered by Claude Opus 4.6 (Anthropic).
- Deep Research: Handled by Gemini 3.1 Pro (Google).
- Long-Context Recall: Managed by ChatGPT 5.2 (OpenAI).
- Fast/Light Tasks: Routed to Grok 4.1 (xAI).
- Creative Assets: Nano Banana for images and Veo 3.1 for video.
Key Features & Capabilities
Perplexity Computer is designed to be an “always-on” employee that works in the background:
- Asynchronous Execution: It can run tasks for hours or even months. You can close your browser, and it will notify you when the deliverable is ready.
- Tool Integration: It has hundreds of “authenticated connectors” to apps like Gmail, Slack, GitHub, Notion, and Salesforce, allowing it to send emails or update project boards.
- Isolated Sandbox: Every project runs in a secure cloud environment with its own real file system and browser, meaning it can actually write code and “run” it to check for bugs.
- Persistent Memory: It remembers your specific preferences and style across different projects and sessions.
Pricing and Availability
Perplexity is using this launch to introduce a new, premium subscription tier and a shift toward usage-based pricing:
| Tier | Access & Cost | Credit System |
| Perplexity Max | $200/month (or $167 billed annually) | Includes 10,000 monthly credits for Computer tasks. |
| Perplexity Pro | $20/month | Currently in load-testing; will gain access later. |
| Bonus Credits | Limited-time offer | Max subscribers currently receive 20,000 extra bonus credits. |
Note: Standard searches remain unlimited and do not consume credits; credits are only used for the complex, multi-step “Computer” workflows.
The Samsung “Hey Plex” Integration
Coinciding with this launch, Samsung announced at its February 2026 Unpacked event that the Galaxy S26 series will feature a system-level integration of Perplexity.
- Voice Wake Word: Users can invoke the assistant by saying “Hey Plex.”
- Cross-App Workflows: You can ask Perplexity to research a topic in Samsung Notes and then automatically set a reminder or draft an email based on that research without switching apps.
