Perplexity's 'Personal Computer' turns Mac into an all-in-one AI worker
What's the story
Perplexity has launched a new feature called 'Personal Computer,' which expands the capabilities of its existing Perplexity Computer. The new feature integrates seamlessly with local files and apps on a Mac, making it an all-in-one digital worker. The upgrade was announced in March and is now available for Max subscribers after being on a waitlist basis.
Feature overview
A digital worker for your Mac
The Perplexity Computer, launched earlier this year, is a "digital worker" capable of creating and executing entire workflows. The latest upgrade allows it to run directly on a Mac with access to the file system and native apps. Users can activate Personal Computer by pressing both Command keys on their Macs, which then responds to text or voice commands.
Functionality
Recommended setup is a Mac mini
The Personal Computer can work across any Mac app, automatically displaying quick actions for active apps. Perplexity claims that the feature can run on any Mac with macOS 14 Sonoma or later, but recommends a Mac mini. With this setup, the Personal Computer can run 24/7 for tasks requiring a persistent machine or secure local access to files and native apps.
Task management
It can create teams of agents for task completion
The Personal Computer can handle a variety of tasks, from completing to-do lists to sorting messy downloads folders. It can also compare local files with information on the web. The feature allows users to create teams of agents across over 20 frontier models for task completion. All actions taken by the Personal Computer are visible, auditable, and reversible in a secure sandbox environment with a kill switch.
Availability
Available for Max subscribers only
The Personal Computer for Mac is being rolled out to Perplexity Max subscribers, with those on the waitlist getting priority. However, it is worth noting that this new feature isn't available for $20/month Pro plan subscribers. The Perplexity Max subscription costs $200 per month, making it a premium offering for users looking to leverage advanced AI capabilities on their Macs.