Perplexity's new AI tool makes patent searching fast and easy
What's the story
Perplexity has launched an innovative artificial intelligence (AI) tool, dubbed Perplexity Patents. The platform, which is currently in beta and available globally, was unveiled by the company's CEO Aravind Srinivas on Thursday. Described as "the world's first AI patent research agent," Perplexity Patents aims to revolutionize intellectual property (IP) intelligence by simplifying patent research with natural language queries.
User-friendly interface
The platform offers a user-friendly interface
Perplexity Patents intends to tackle the difficulties of traditional patent research, which often involves complex keyword syntax and specialized search operators. The platform offers a user-friendly interface where users can ask questions like "Are there any patents on AI for language learning?" or "Key quantum computing patents since 2024?" The system then provides relevant patent collections with inline viewers and direct links to original documents.
Interactive exploration
It offers conversational, AI-assisted exploration of patent data
The platform goes beyond static search engines by offering conversational, AI-assisted exploration of patent data. It supports follow-up questions and maintains context across a series of interactions, letting users refine their research without starting over. Plus, it suggests related topics for deeper exploration, making it an interactive assistant rather than just a search tool.
Broader insights
It also draws insights from academic papers
Perplexity Patents goes beyond traditional patent archives by drawing insights from academic papers, open-source software repositories, and other publicly available materials. This cross-source approach aims to provide engineers, researchers, and business users with a broader understanding of emerging technologies and related inventions. The tool can even detect conceptual similarities across documents, identifying patents related to "fitness trackers," for example.
Accessibility and future plans
Availability and future developments
Perplexity Patents is available as a free beta product to all users globally. However, paid subscribers on Perplexity's Pro and Max tiers will enjoy higher usage limits and more configuration options. The company has also teased an upcoming product called Perplexity Scholar, which will support academic research in a similar way as its patent research tool.