Perplexity Computer for Beginners: Everything You Need to Know

Summary

Perplexity Computer is an advanced AI tool that combines the power of 19 different models to perform a range of tasks, from research to app development. Unlike traditional AI chatbots that engage in a back-and-forth conversation, Perplexity Computer plans entire workflows and executes them simultaneously. It operates in a secure cloud environment and is currently available to users on the Perplexity Max plan for $200 per month. The system allows users to automate complex tasks, thereby significantly reducing the time spent on research, project management, and content creation. The video provides a detailed guide to using Perplexity Computer, demonstrating its capabilities through various practical examples and offering tips for maximizing its potential.

Highlights

• Discover Perplexity Computer, an advanced AI system using 19 models 🤖.
• Automate complex workflows and reduce research time significantly 💼.
• Secure cloud operation keeps your local data safe 🔒.
• Exclusive access on Perplexity Max plan makes it a premium tool 💲.
• Enhance efficiency with smart task routing and automation 🚀.

Key Takeaways

• Perplexity Computer uses 19 AI models for diverse task handling 🎛️.
• It automates workflows, unlike traditional chatbots 🔄.
• Operates securely in the cloud, protecting local data ☁️.
• Currently exclusive to the Perplexity Max plan ($200/month) 💸.
• Automates tasks, saving time for professionals and power users ⏳.

Overview

The video dives into the powerful capabilities of Perplexity Computer, a cloud-based AI system that orchestrates 19 different models to manage and execute tasks ranging from coding to project management. Imagine having a digital co-worker that plans and executes tasks like a wizard, without the need for manual input after the initial prompt. It's the AI evolution you've been waiting for!

Available exclusively on the Perplexity Max plan for $200 a month, this tool is designed to save time and effort for those deeply involved in research and project work. Whether you're compiling comprehensive reports or creating interactive dashboards, Perplexity Computer does it all in a snap, operating everything securely in the cloud so you can rest easy about your data.

Take your productivity to new heights with Perplexity Computer, which allows for parallel task execution and innovative solutions across different fields. Whether you're crafting content or designing apps, this tool tailors its approach to fit your needs, routing tasks to the best-suited AI model in real-time. It's not just about getting answers anymore—it's about getting the work done seamlessly.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 02:30: Introduction to Perplexity Computer Introduction to Perplexity Computer: This chapter introduces a revolutionary AI tool called Perplexity Computer, which is not a physical device but a cloud-based AI system capable of handling diverse tasks such as research, design, coding, app-building, presentations, and project management from a single prompt. Unlike regular AI chatbots that provide responses in a conversation format, Perplexity Computer harnesses the power of 19 different AI models to perform tasks autonomously and efficiently without requiring the user to switch between tools. The system intelligently assigns tasks to suitable AI models, making it a digital co-worker that can handle long-term projects. This introductory chapter sets the stage for further exploration of its features and use cases, explained by Jamie from Teachers Tech.
• 02:30 - 05:00: Perplexity Computer's AI Models and Workflow Perplexity Computer AI models function by planning workflows based on the desired outcomes specified by users. These models run multiple sub-agents in parallel within a secure cloud environment, ensuring that local computer files remain untouched, enhancing security. Access to Perplexity Computer is exclusive to the Perplexity Max plan, priced at $200 per month, aimed at professional and power users. This plan includes 10,000 credits for tasks, with a temporary bonus of 20,000 credits for new sign-ups, which expire after 30 days. While Pro subscribers and enterprise users may have access in the future, currently Max is the only plan offered. Perplexity Computer is positioned as a significant step in AI development and offers an interface that integrates tasks, files, and connectors like Google Drive to leverage user data. It also provides a live example feed and an organized set of task prompts for practical uses, showcasing its capabilities in research and more complex projects.
• 05:00 - 07:30: Live Examples and Practical Prompts This segment focuses on the current state of AI in K to 2 education by 2026, highlighting the tools teachers are using and the effectiveness of these tools according to recent research. The speaker mentions concerns, challenges, and emerging trends identified through parallel research on AI's impact in early education.
• 07:30 - 10:00: AI in Education and App Creation Demonstrations In this chapter, the focus is on demonstrating the usage of an application, particularly in the context of sharing and presenting information effectively. The speaker showcases the features of the app, such as light and dark mode, and the ability to share links publicly or privately across different platforms. This can be highly beneficial for presentations where easily accessible links are needed for reference. The discussion then shifts towards a demonstration of AI-generated content creation. Specifically, the speaker gives an AI tool, Perplexity Computer, a complex task to create a four-week content plan for an educational technology YouTube channel. The requirement is for the AI to generate well-optimized video titles, thumbnails, descriptions, talking points, and resources for each video, with a focus on beginner-friendly AI tools. Additionally, the AI is tasked to create a one-page PDF summary for easy reference. The chapter concludes with an evaluation of the AI's output. The generated content plan, although not as detailed as the speaker's usual standards, provides useful ideas and showcases the AI's ability to search updated and relevant data sources, reflecting a practical application of AI in streamlining content creation processes for educational purposes.
• 10:00 - 12:30: Setting Up and Using Perplexity Computer for News Briefings The user quickly sets up the Perplexity Computer to generate ideas, finding it useful for continuous research rather than one-off tasks. They then test the tool's ability to build a simple web app to track monthly subscriptions, noting its no-coding feature and responsiveness, even on mobile. The app efficiently showcases services like Netflix and Prime, with projections and charts that visualize spending patterns, proving to be a practical solution for budgeting concerns.
• 12:30 - 15:00: Tips for Maximizing Perplexity Computer's Potential This chapter focuses on utilizing the perplexity computer optimally, emphasizing its application in research and information management. The speaker expresses preference for using the AI tool for managing their weekly AI news briefings, set for distribution every Monday morning. Key features include summarizing top five AI-related stories in a clean PDF format, emphasizing on different AI areas and updates to stay informed. The segment suggests leveraging perplexity computer’s connectors to integrate with services like Google Drive, Notion, or Slack, enhancing workflow and data management.
• 15:00 - 17:30: Pricing and Use Case Considerations The chapter discusses the importance of understanding pricing and usage considerations when using AI tools like perplexity computer. It emphasizes monitoring credits, as complex tasks consume more credits. Starting with smaller tasks is advised to get accustomed to credit consumption before tackling larger projects.

Perplexity Computer for Beginners: Everything You Need to Know Transcription

• Segment 1: 00:00 - 02:30 What if I told you there's a new AI tool that just doesn't answer your questions? It actually does the work for you. And it's not just with one AI model, but with 19 different AI models all working together at the same time. And that's exactly what Perplexity just launched. It's called Perplexity Computer. And it's not a physical computer. It's a cloud-based AI system that can research, design, code, build apps, create presentations, and manage entire projects all from a single prompt. Now, I know that sounds like a lot, and honestly, it is. But don't worry. In this video, I'm going to break it all down step by step. I'll show you exactly what it is, how to get started, and I'll walk you through some real prompts so you can see it in action. Whether you're brand new to AI or you've been using tools like ChatgBT and Claude, this one is worth paying attention to. My name is Jamie and welcome to Teachers Tech. Let's get into it. Okay, let's start with the basics. What exactly is Perplexity Computer? If you're already familiar with Perplexity, you know, it started as an AI powered search engine, kind of like Google. But instead of giving you a list of links, it gives you direct answers with sources. Then they added features like deep research labs in their comment browser. Perplexity computer is the next evolution. Think of it as a digital co-worker. You describe what you want done and the end result and the computer breaks that down into task, assigns each task to the best AI model for the job and runs everything automatically. It can work in the background for hours and even run for ongoing projects over weeks and months. Here's what makes this different from chat GBT or Claude. Instead of relying on a single AI model, Perplexity Computer orchestrates 19 different models. Let me show you what I mean. Claude Opus 4.6, Six, the core reasoning engine, the brain that coordinates everything. Gemini handles deep research and creates sub aents. Chad GPT 5.2 great for long context recall and broad web searches. Grock used for speed and
• Segment 2: 00:00 - 02:30 lighter quick task. Nano banana image generation. VO3.1 video generation. So when you give computer a project, it figures out which model is the best for each piece of the work. Need research, it picks one model. need code, another need design. A third, you don't have to switch between different AI tools anymore. Computer handles all the routing automatically. Here's the key difference I want you to understand. With a regular AI chatbot, you type a message, you get a response, then you type another message. It's a back and forth conversation. Perplexity computer
• Segment 3: 02:30 - 05:00 works differently. You describe the outcome you want and it plans the entire workflow up front. It creates sub aents. Think of them like mini AI assistants. and runs them in parallel. Multiple things happen at the same time, not one after another. And here's the really cool part. It all runs in the cloud in a safe sandbox environment. So unlike some other AI agent tools, it's not touching any of your local files on your computer directly. That's a big deal for security. Now, let me quickly cover how to actually access this and what it costs because I want to be upfront with you. As of right now, Perplexity Computer is available exclusively on the Perplexity Max plan, which is $200 per month. I know that's not cheap. This is definitely positioned as a power user and professional tool. Perplexity has said they plan to roll it out to pro subscribers and enterprise users in the future, but right now it's Max only. The Max plan includes 10,000 credits per month for computer task, and right now there's a limited time bonus of 20,000 additional credits when you sign up. Those bonus credits expire after 30 days though, so keep that in mind. Now, even if you're not ready to commit to the max plan, I still think it's worth understanding what computer can do because this is the direction AI is heading. And if you're on the free or pro plan, you can still use Perplexity's other great features like search, deep research, and labs. All right, let me show you around the interface so you know where everything is. Right now, I'm just in the normal search, but you can see in the top lefthand corner, I can just click on computer. This is where we're going to enter in our task. And over here on the side, you can see that we'll have our task, our files, connectors. So, this will connect your apps and services. So, computer can access and act your data. This is a great feature. So, you you'll be able to connect something like Google Drive. Then, it can go into certain files, use those files,
• Segment 4: 02:30 - 05:00 and act on your behalf. Down here, we have live example. So, Perplexity also has this stream of real computer tasks running at perplexity.ai. So, it's a great way to see what other people are building and get ideas. Okay, this is the part I'm most excited about. Let me show you some real prompts you can use. I've organized these from simple to more complex so you can follow along. Let's start with something really practical. Say you need to research a topic thoroughly, maybe for a lesson plan, a presentation, or a report. Instead of spending hours searching and compiling, you can give the computer the whole job. So, I'm going to say this. Research the
• Segment 5: 05:00 - 07:30 current state of AI in K to2 education. Include what tools teachers are actually using in the classroom in 2026. What the research says about the effectiveness and concerns or challenges and merging trends. Create a comprehensive report with sections, key findings, and source citations. Format it as clean document I can share with colleagues. Let's go ahead and send this. I can see it found some history on me. I was surprised that when it looked back and was taking my that context into this research. Now, this task didn't take very long and I knew it wouldn't. So, it uh went through it had parallel research across all four topics here. AI effectiveness in K to2 school concerns and challenges, emerging trends. Then all four research tracks are complete. Uh let me read through the findings and compile them into a PDF report. And it went through everything. And here is the report at the end. It's a 16page PDF uh covering the current state of AI in K to2 education where there's an executive summary, everything in it, policy landscape. So if I click on it, you can see it's right here. I'll just scroll through this to give you an idea of how it was put together. It's a nice looking report here. And if I want it as a PDF, I can just go up top, download as a PDF or export PDF to drive. Here's one that really shows off what Perplexity Computer can do. Let's ask it to build something visual and interactive. So, this is going to be my prompt. Create an interactive dashboard that compares the top 10 AI tools of 2026. You can see all the different ones I listed there. Show a comparison of their pricing tiers, key features, and what each is best at. Include interactive charts and recommendations matrix. Deploy it as a simple web page. I can share. I can see it loading up the skills. So, loading skill website building, loading skill, research assistant, setting up the task list, running these in parallel. It was interesting watching it work from the research and when it started building the app right here,
• Segment 6: 05:00 - 07:30 it would take a screenshot of it and then it would make any corrections needed and then would take another uh screenshot of the app and making sure everything was working. So, it did this back and forth a few different times um with the dashboard, testing everything out, and then it created all
• Segment 7: 07:30 - 10:00 the files. And down here is the app. Here's a write up, but I'm just going to click on the app here. And right away, you can see it's here. Here, I'm just going to go to the uh full screen and you should be able to see it here. I do have I didn't ask for light or dark mode, but they have it here. So, if you're just thinking about creating information and sharing information, this was all put together uh in this and I can just share from here. So, here's an example. If I go ahead and click share, and you can see anyone with the link or I could go private, but I could copy the link. And I'll bring a another uh browser window in here. And I'm just going to paste the link in. And so you can see that this is a link that you could share with somebody else. So you could do all this research. And this could be a great way for a presentation. If you were showing something and you just had to have the link with you, then you'd have all these numbers uh on here that you can kind of go through in a nice easy way. Now, let's try something really relevant for anyone that creates content. I'm going to give Perplexity Computer a multi-step content project. And this is what I'm going to ask. I run an educational technology YouTube channel. Create a content plan for the next four weeks with two videos per week. For each video, provide a compelling title optimized for YouTube search, a thumbnail, concept description, five key talking points, and a list of any tools resources I should feature. Focus the topic on AI tools that beginners can start using today. Also create a one-page PDF summary I can print and pin to my wall. Okay. So, again, it searched my history, my what it knows about me being a YouTuber. It went through. I can kind of get an idea with all different places it searched. It's looking 2026, so that's good. They're not looking at old documents with AI. We want them to be looking at 2025. That's too old already. Um, here's the PDF at the end. I'll just click on it and open this
• Segment 8: 07:30 - 10:00 up. And let's see. So, we have our week one, week two, week three, week four. We have two videos for each. We have a title, our thumbnail, and five points. Uh, it's not my normal workflow when I do research. Uh, I'd probably break things down a lot uh more detailed when I'm doing a search about a specific topic, but I just wanted to see what it would produce. It definitely gives some ideas um about with the prompts and different things about this. And I kind of like where it has the
• Segment 9: 10:00 - 12:30 key points. This only took me a matter of two or three minutes for it to run through and create this. So, as something to generate ideas, I love it. I probably would have to go back and for my personal workflow, I would probably use Perplexi uh computer a little bit differently than just giving it a one-off prompt, probably more of a continuous research about different topics. Now, for this next one, I want to see how Perplexity Computer can actually use tools or build an app. So, I'm going to give it a prompt to build this. Build a simple web app that helps me track monthly subscriptions because you know what a pain those are to keep track of. I want to add each service name and price. See total monthly cost, a yearly projection, a pie chart showing where my money goes. So, I'm going to send this off. And this is just to give context about you could change this to whatever. No coding will be needed to do this. It's going to go out and do everything for you. Well, that took about maybe 10 minutes in total. Let's check out the app that we have here. We'll just click on it. We'll go to full screen again. I can see that we have our dark or light mode here. And if I go put in, we'll just do an a test here. So, if I go and type in Netflix here, we'll say I don't even know how much it is a month. We'll go 15 here. And we'll click add. So, as soon as that goes in, it starts to show the yearly the pie chart here. Let's add another one. Let's go with the prime. I don't know how much any of these are, but we'll add. Okay. So, you can see how it's changing um up here as I enter more and more already. It makes me want to cancel a few of these when you start adding up this yearly projection here. So, I can What happens if I hit X here? Just takes it away. So, everything works very well. I can share this out with anybody. I'd like to test it out on mobile. Should work on mobile. It said it would be responsive to that, too. So, that was a no coding. The app there with just that simple prompt and uh perplexity computer brought
• Segment 10: 10:00 - 12:30 it back to us. All right, let's try one last demo. And this one, let's go with something that would be a little bit more long-term in project. So, let's try set up a weekly AI news briefing for me. Every week, scan the latest developments in AI for education and content creation. Compile the top five most important stories with briefing summaries and why they matter. Include the links
• Segment 11: 12:30 - 15:00 to the original sources. Format each briefing as a clean, scannable document. Let's send this off. All right. So, out of all the demos that I showed you today, this is actually probably one I would use the most because I do like perplexity for research and search. So, what they set up here, so your weekly AI news briefing is set up. Here's what to expect. So, every Monday at 8 a.m. my time, I'm going to get a clean PDF delivered right here covering the top five stories from the past week in AI for education and context creation. I like this. This will probably be better for me to look what's being consistently uh just given to me this way than even for them to create me titles and everything for my YouTube video. This is what I generally go from are these type of uh news articles that I see. So, what is prioritized the new tool launches, major updates, funding acquisitions, and edte. Now, I could have uh crafted my prompt a little bit differently to focus on different things because I want it to be bigger than just edte as well, but this would be an interesting file. Maybe I'll start another one that makes it more specific on a different area of AI as well. Here are five different prompts that we use today. You can see the different files. If I click on files over here, gives me easy access to all the things we created from the generated app to PDF documents. The other thing I just want to bring your attention to again is connectors right here. Uh this uh if you add them, this gives another strength to perplex the computer to go into something like your Google Drive, maybe connect with your notion, the notes you've taken or to slack. So where it can work with that information and just make everything more streamlined. Now I'm not going to leave quite yet. I have some tips I want to share with you about using perplexity computer. Tip one, describe the outcome, not the steps. Instead of telling it how to do something step by step, tell it what you want the final result to look like.
• Segment 12: 12:30 - 15:00 Computer is designed to figure out the how on its own. Tip two, be specific about the format and deliverables. Don't just say research this topic. Say create a report with sections, charts, and citations or build a web app or generate a PDF. The more specific you are about what you want delivered, the better the output. Tip three, ask for cross referencing and analysis. When a computer strength is comparing sources, ask things like, "What do these sources disagree on?" or "Which source is the most credible and why?" You'll get a much richer result. Tip four, request visual outputs. Instead of plain text, ask for charts, timelines, interactive dashboards,
• Segment 13: 15:00 - 17:30 or infographics. computer can route these tasks to specialized models that are great at visual outputs. Tip five, keep an eye on your credits. Complex tasks use more credits than simple ones. Start with smaller tasks to get a feel for the credit loss, then scale up as you get comfortable. So, that's perplexity computer. Now, is the $200 per month price tag worth it? That really depends on your use case. If you're a professional, a business owner, or power user who spends every week on research and project work, this could genuinely save you a significant amount of time. For casual users, you might want to wait until it comes to the pro plan. Either way, this is a glimpse of where AI is heading. We're moving from the chat bots that answer questions to agents that do the actual work, and that's pretty exciting. Thanks for watching. I'll see you in the next one.