Emerging AI "Assistants:" Perplexity.AI on WhatsApp and Elsewhere
Imagine opening WhatsApp and, instead of scrolling away to Google a dubious claim your uncle just forwarded, you simply bounce the message to an AI that replies with a sourced fact‑check in seconds. That scenario is no longer sci‑fi; it’s the first taste of a future tech leaders have been predicting out loud this year.
Microsoft AI chief Mustafa Suleyman called conversational assistants “the next web browser,” a new interface layer that will eclipse the old “ten blue links” and sit beside us in every digital moment The Verge.
Meta’s chief scientist Yann LeCun goes a step further: within the decade, he says, we’ll each carry a companion “that knows you…your best digital friend,” a vision he likens to Spike Jonze’s film Her World Economic Forum. Taken together, their forecasts point to an era when personal AI isn’t an app—it’s ambient.
As an AI assistant’s memory deepens, its usefulness compounds: each interaction adds a new layer of context—your favorite sources, writing quirks, recurring calendar blocks, even dietary preferences—so the assistant can shift from simply reacting to your queries to proactively streamlining your life. Instead of asking for directions every Friday, it can suggest the quickest route before you leave; rather than re‑explaining your research niche, it can surface precisely the studies you’d cite; and when you draft an email, it can mirror your tone because it has learned your voice. The more it “knows” you, the more invisible the interface becomes: recommendations feel intuitive, follow‑ups appear unprompted, and tasks you once considered chores fade quietly into the background.
To map that landscape, I’m kicking off a short series on emerging AI assistants.
First up: Perplexity AI’s new AI assistant.
The assistant can be access through Perplexity’s iOS app, its Android app, or on WhatsApp.
Drop‑in fact‑checking. Forward any text, screenshot or image to +1 (833) 436‑3285 and Perplexity returns a concise answer with live source links—no browser hop required TechRadar.
Get a quick answer to a timely question.
Multilingual reach. The bot already supports 20‑plus languages, making it useful in the global group chats where misinformation spreads fastest TechRadar.
Search‑grade responses. Like its web product, Perplexity cites multiple authoritative sources and can generate follow‑up summaries, deep‑dive threads, or even images (the BGR launch thread mentions answer, source and image‑generation modes) BGR.
Road‑map hints. The company says group‑chat participation and auto‑reply guardrails are on the horizon, positioning the bot as a real‑time co‑moderator rather than a one‑off lookup tool TechRadar.
Task management: Perplexity AI can assist with everyday tasks such as booking dinner reservations, finding songs, arranging rides, drafting emails, and setting reminders.
Integration with other apps: The Perplexity Assistant can call other apps to perform tasks, streamlining various processes for users.
Identifying objects: Perplexity AI can identify what it sees through a device's camera or on screen.
Over the next posts I’ll explore how other assistants are redefining search, productivity and even social etiquette.
“Her” is no longer science fiction.