Latest news with #PerplexityAI
India Today
2 days ago
- Business
- India Today
Perplexity rolls out a new AI tool that turns prompts into projects and charts in just a few minutes
In a significant leap forward for artificial intelligence applications, Perplexity AI has unveiled Perplexity Labs, a new-generation productivity tool designed to revolutionise how users approach complex projects. Available now for Pro subscribers, this innovative platform enables the creation of comprehensive reports, interactive dashboards, and even simple web applications, all through intuitive prompts. In the blog post, Perplexity states, "(Perplexity) Labs can accomplish in 10 minutes what would previously have taken days of work, tedious research, and coordination of many different skills. Most importantly, the magic behind Labs is what Perplexity is best known for — accurate answers that help you make better decisions." advertisementPerplexity Labs: Availability Now rolled out for Pro users, Perplexity Labs is set to revolutionise the way professionals, researchers, and creatives manage intricate tasks, whether it's compiling detailed reports or developing simple web applications, while keeping manual effort to a minimum. Unveiled on Thursday, the new offering from Perplexity grants paying subscribers on the 20 (Rs 1,171)-a-month Pro plan) access to a powerful suite of tools capable of generating spreadsheets, dashboards, written reports, and more. At present, Perplexity Labs is fully functional across web browsers and available on both iOS and Android devices, with native desktop applications for Mac and Windows users expected to arrive in the near Labs: How does it work? advertisementAt its core, Perplexity Labs allows users to give a simple prompt and watch the platform build a complete project in return. Whether you're creating a financial dashboard, coding an app prototype, or drafting a content calendar, Labs works through your instructions and assembles all the necessary components. The AI draws from multiple advanced tools, including web search, code execution, data visualisation, and image generation, to carry out multi-step tasks. The system can run for over 10 minutes autonomously, making decisions on your behalf and returning a polished example, a request like 'Build a report on renewable energy investment trends in 2024' would result in a full research report with charts, sourced references, and downloadable content, all generated by the AI in one go. Perplexity Labs: FeaturesPerplexity Labs, the newly launched AI-driven workspace by Perplexity AI, brings a fresh level of sophistication to digital productivity. What sets Labs apart is its capacity to do more than just gather information. It can build interactive web applications, structure complex datasets, apply formulas, and even generate documents, all through intelligent the process, every asset created, be it images, charts, code files, or spreadsheets, is neatly stored in a dedicated tab, allowing users to easily preview or download their Perplexity notes, this expanded toolset allows individuals to deliver a much wider range of project outputs, effectively turning a simple prompt into a fully realised digital the streamlined Research mode (formerly known as Deep Research) continues to offer quick and thorough responses to complex queries, typically delivering results in just 3 to 4 minutes, Perplexity Labs is built for those needing more than just answers. Labs takes a deeper dive, working over a longer timeframe (often ten minutes or more) and tapping into a wider range of capabilities, including the creation of files, charts, and even lightweight web broader functionality enables users to generate a far more diverse set of outputs tailored to their project needs—be it code, visual assets, structured data, or interactive part of its evolving product suite, Perplexity has also announced that it is retiring the term 'Deep Research' in favour of simply 'Research.' The updated name better reflects its core position within the platform—bridging the gap between Perplexity's standard Search function and the more hands-on, generative power of Labs.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Perplexity AI rolls out Perplexity Labs to write reports, spreadsheets and build apps
Perplexity AI has launched a new tool called Perplexity Labs to generate reports, spreadsheets, dashboards and more. The feature is available for Pro subscribers on the web, iOS and Android for now. 'Often performing 10 minutes or more of self-supervised work, Perplexity Labs use a suite of tools like deep web browsing, code execution, and chart and image creation to turn your ideas and to-do's into work that's been done,' a blog post announcing the news said. The files that are created by the tool are organised in a separate 'Assets' tab to be viewed and downloaded. It can also help build and deploy interactive web apps directly under an 'App' tab. Perplexity has said that the tool will soon be coming to their apps for Mac and Windows. Earlier this year, the Aravind Srinivas-led company unveiled a deep research tool to compete with OpenAI and Google while also previewing a web browser called Comet.
eNCA
3 days ago
- Business
- eNCA
AI personal shoppers hunt down bargain buys
SAN FRANCISCO - Internet giants are diving deeper into e-commerce with digital aides that know shoppers' likes, let them virtually try clothes on, hunt for deals and even place orders. The rise of virtual personal shoppers springs from generative artificial intelligence (AI) being put to work in "agents" specialising in specific tasks and given autonomy to complete them independently. "This is basically the next evolution of shopping experiences," said CFRA Research analyst Angelo Zino. Google last week unveiled shopping features built into a new "AI Mode". It can take a person's own photo and meld it with that of a skirt, shirt or other piece of clothing spotted online, showing how it will look on them. The AI adjusts the clothing size to fit, accounting for how fabrics drape, according to Google head of advertising and commerce Vidhya Srinivasan. Shoppers can then set the price they would pay and leave the AI to relentlessly browse the internet for a deal -- alerting the shopper when it finds one, and asking if it should buy using Google's payment platform. "They're taking on Amazon a little bit," Techsponential analyst Avi Greengart said of Google. The tool is also a way to make money from AI by increasing online traffic and opportunities to show ads, Greengart added. The Silicon Valley tech titan did not respond to a query regarding whether it is sharing in revenue from shopping transactions. - Bartering bots? - OpenAI added a shopping feature to ChatGPT earlier this year, enabling the chatbot to respond to requests with product suggestions, consumer reviews and links to merchant websites. Perplexity AI late last year began letting subscribers pay for online purchases without leaving its app. Amazon in April added a "Buy for Me" mode to its Rufus digital assistant, allowing users to command it to make purchases at retailer websites off Amazon's platform. Walmart head of technology Hari Vasudev recently spoke about adding an AI agent to the retail behemoth's online shopping portal, while also working with partners to make sure their digital agents keep Walmart products in mind. Global payment networks Visa and Mastercard in April each said their technical systems were modernised to allow payment transactions by digital agents. "As AI agents start to take over the bulk of product discovery and the decision-making process, retailers must consider how to optimise for this new layer of AI shoppers," said Elise Watson of Clarkston Consulting. Retailers are likely to be left groping in the dark when it comes to what makes a product attractive to AI agents, according to Watson. - Knowing the customer - Analyst Zino does not expect AI shoppers to cause an e-commerce industry upheaval, but he does see the technology benefiting Google and Meta. Not only do the Internet rivals have massive amounts of data about their users, but they are also among frontrunners in the AI race. "They probably have more information on the consumer than anyone else out there," Zino said of Google and Meta. Tech company access to data about users hits the hot-button issue of online privacy and who should control personal information. Google plans to refine consumer profiles based on what people search for and promises that shoppers will need to authorise access to additional information such as email or app use. Trusting a chatbot with one's buying decisions may spook some people, and while the technology might be in place the legal and ethical framework for it is not. "The agent economy is here," said PSE Consulting managing director Chris Jones. "The next phase of e-commerce will depend on whether we can trust machines to buy on our behalf." by Thomas Urbain
The Print
4 days ago
- The Print
To use or not, is no longer the question. From IITs to DU, universities are fighting unethical AI use
In its recommendations, seen by ThePrint, the committee said AI-assisted content, including images, tables, or major text sections, should be clearly cited in captions, footnotes, or the main text. It also advised instructors to create plagiarism policies addressing the ethical use of generative AI tools. The committee was established last year after an internal survey found that nearly 81 percent of students and 50 percent of faculty members were regularly using AI tools. Some of the most commonly used generative AI tools include ChatGPT, Chatbot, Claude, GitHub Copilot, and Perplexity AI. New Delhi: An internal committee at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IIT-Delhi), has come out with guidelines for students and faculty on the fair and ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) after an internal survey uncovered the widespread use of AI tools among students and faculty members, ThePrint has learnt. IIT-Delhi Director Rangan Banerjee told ThePrint that these were just the 'first tranche' of recommendations and the guidelines were being further updated. 'The idea is not just to create fixed rules, but to set a framework that evolves with time. AI is not static—it's fast evolving, and so the way we deal with it in education also has to evolve.' Banerjee said there was no clear-cut answer to how much AI should be allowed in academic work. 'It's not like you can say '30 percent AI is okay.' Every context is different.' As such, he said, the faculty needs to be conscious when designing assignments or setting question papers. 'They need to ask themselves—can this be easily answered using AI? If yes, then how do I change the question? Many faculty are now trying out prompts with AI tools, then adjusting their assessments accordingly. That kind of innovation is essential because AI is not going away.' The use of AI tools in educational institutions has become a global issue. With easy access to AI tools, the question is no longer about whether such tools should be used but rather how they can be used to elevate teaching, learning, and assessment without undermining creativity or academic honesty. However, experts caution that there is no universally agreed-upon definition of what constitutes the 'right balance' when it comes to the use of AI in academics. John J. Kennedy, former dean of the School of Arts and Humanities at Christ University, Bengaluru, emphasised the need for India to adopt a more structured and forward-looking approach. 'This means crafting clear, actionable guidelines that empower both students and faculty, not by imposing blanket bans, but by fostering ethical, adaptable frameworks that evolve with the technology. Outright prohibition of AI is neither practical nor sustainable in the long run,' he told ThePrint. For now, in the absence of any blanket institutional guidelines, faculty members are left grappling with the issue at an individual level, relying on tools like Turnitin and Paperpal for plagiarism and AI detection. Also Read: Educational systems must catch up with AI. It is now key for developing human intelligence Lack of ethics awareness According to IIT-Delhi's survey of 427 students and 88 faculty members last year, every student surveyed reported using generative AI tools for writing assistance. Additionally, the report, accessed by ThePrint, found 62 percent used them for coding, 58 percent for idea generation, and 52 percent for exam and quiz preparation. The initial report by the committee on AI use said faculty members fear that extensive use of these tools could undermine the development of critical thinking and analytical skills among students, as it may encourage 'shortcuts' over genuine engagement with complex concepts. This, however, is not just an IIT-Delhi issue. Furthermore, concerns are also mounting over the increasing use of AI-generated content in academic research. Antara Chakrabarty, a PhD scholar at South Asian University (SAU) who regularly mentors students on their research proposals, voiced her frustration over the use of AI on the social media platform X last week. So many students sending me their PhD proposals asking for help but majority are what seems to be written by AI chatgpt'ed sections. Even the literature reviews are terribly depersonalised. Just don't know where is this going and what is going to become of research in future — Antara Chakrabarty | অন্তরা (@ant_taraa) May 21, 2025 Chakrabarty, a PhD student in Sociology, said it's acceptable for scholars to use AI for assistance, but not to generate entire research proposals. She shared an incident with ThePrint where a student shared a proposal fully written by ChatGPT with her for suggestions. She asked him to rewrite it, but he never responded. 'Two months later, he told her he was admitted to a PhD program using the same proposal. It's a very troubling trend.' In November last year, a postgraduate law student sued OP Jindal Global University for failing him over allegations that 88 percent of his coursework was AI-generated. The case was later disposed of after the university issued fresh transcripts following a re-examination. Faculty members at various institutes say students are unaware of the ethical issue of using AI-generated content. For instance, the IIT-Delhi survey report also revealed that 52 percent of the students did not view the use of generative AI tools as raising professional ethical concerns. Suman Chakrabarty, professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at IIT-Kharagpur, said that it especially becomes an ethical issue when a student's work is 100 percent AI-generated. 'Even if the AI solution is fully correct, it's supposed to be an independent effort by the student. This is a fundamental ethical concern and bad practice, which could hurt the student in their professional life.' The first issue, he said, is that it leads to the loss of foundational knowledge; the second is that of ethics, and the third is the 'subtle but real risk that many AI-generated answers include small, hidden mistakes'. 'Especially in scientific subjects, AI might confidently present wrong or ambiguous content—and I've seen that happen in the case of my own students,' he told ThePrint. But teachers also emphasised the difficulty of ascertaining that AI had been used to put together a project. Tanvir Aeijaz, associate professor of political science at Ramjas College, Delhi University, said, 'At the research level, there are still many software tools to detect AI usage and plagiarism. But at the college and undergraduate levels, the problem is different. Teachers have to evaluate hundreds of assignments, and it becomes practically impossible to check each one thoroughly.' 'Just imagine — in a single class, there might be around 150 students. That means 150 assignments, each typically five pages long in hard copy format. Even if a teacher suspects the use of AI, it's nearly impossible to detect,' Aeijaz added. Another political science professor from a prominent Delhi University college who did not wish to be named told ThePrint that last year, at least 20 students submitted nearly identical assignments on political theory. 'It was clearly done using ChatGPT. I had to cancel the assignment and hold a class test instead. It's getting harder to use creative forms of assessment.' Surajit Mazumdar, a professor at JNU's Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, noted that, as a result of this AI use, many professors are now moving away from take-home assignments. 'Earlier, students could work at their own pace. But with AI tools so easily available, we're forced to rely more on exams. The flexibility of creative assessments has been restricted.' Also Read: No new 'Institute of Eminence' tags likely from Centre. How the programme has fared so far Measures to curb unethical use Officials from several higher education institutions told ThePrint that they have implemented various measures to curb the unethical use of AI in teaching and learning, beyond just relying on software to detect AI-generated content. For instance, the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, banned the use of mobile phones during exams, and students could see their course registrations cancelled even if they were only found to be in possession of one. 'Before each exam, which are mostly open-book exams in BITS, students must submit a handwritten declaration stating they are not carrying a phone. These steps reflect a zero-tolerance policy towards cheating using AI-enabled devices,' BITS group Vice-Chancellor V. Ramgopal Rao told ThePrint. He noted that assignments have largely lost relevance, as most students either submit AI output as is or, at best, tweak it slightly. 'As a result, BITS faculty no longer rely on assignments for evaluation and instead conduct oral exams (viva voce) to assess real understanding.' Similarly, Professor Chakrabarty also tried an innovative approach with his students. 'Last semester, I included ChatGPT-generated answers in a model question paper and asked students to critically analyse those answers—identifying what was correct, what was wrong, and how to improve them.' He further said, 'I want to simulate real-world situations in exams. In real life, we don't work in a confined room without help—we solve problems using whatever resources are available. So, in that exam, I gave them full internet access and told them to evaluate and improve ChatGPT's answers. The goal is to foster critical thinking. If we want to thrive in the AI era, we need to shift the way we ask questions.' The Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Sambalpur, has started more in-class activities than take-home projects. 'IIM-Sambalpur also uses case discussion assessments using Artificial Intelligence, where every student comes prepared and also gets personalised feedback on areas to work on. This also helps in healthy class discussions where everyone is motivated and prepared to participate and develops critical skills in the process,' Institute Director Mahadeo Jaiswal told ThePrint. Tanvir Aeijaz said that he, along with many other professors at Delhi University, has completely stopped accepting typed assignments. 'Most teachers now require handwritten submissions, and we prefer this method because we're more equipped at reviewing handwritten work. Also, that way, they will at least read the topic while writing it. However, this is by no means a foolproof solution.' The IIT-Delhi guidelines also emphasised the need to re-evaluate current assessment methods for assignments and exams, prioritising approaches that promote critical thinking, original analysis, and the application of knowledge in ways that AI tools cannot easily replicate. Needs policy intervention However, several faculty members and students told ThePrint that if used correctly, within limits, AI tools can be a benefit to teaching and learning. For instance, AI can save researchers a significant amount of time. BITS Pilani's Vice Chancellor emphasised that AI can help dramatically reduce the time required to complete research and PhD-level tasks, like literature reviews. 'What once took six months can now be completed in just 2 hours,' he said, calling it a 'huge boon' for researchers. Students also agree. Shalini Maheshwari, a PhD scholar at Banaras Hindu University, said, 'It can assist with data analysis, routine tasks, and discovering new insights. However, its effectiveness depends on the quality of the tools and the researchers' familiarity with them. As AI continues to improve, its adoption in research will likely increase, though its usefulness varies by field.' Students have also been using AI tools to overcome language barriers. A postgraduate student at Delhi University, requesting anonymity, told ThePrint, 'Coming from the Hindi heartland, my English speaking and writing skills are minimal. To compete with other students in the class, I often use AI to help me write assignments in English.' However, experts and educators emphasised that in order to ethically use AI in academia, it needs to be properly regulated. For instance, former Christ University professor Kennedy explained, 'In academics, AI can also be useful for things like referencing or summarising texts. A student might not have the time to read multiple novels, but with AI, they can get a summary of them. AI can help with these tasks. The key issue arises when students generate content using AI and then claim it as their own original work. That's where ethical concerns come into play.' Experts further said that working intelligently with AI to maximise its benefits is a vital skill for the future. Saikat Majumdar, professor and head of the department of English at Ashoka University, and author of the forthcoming book 'Open Intelligence: Education between Art and Artificial', said the real challenge is the growing outsourcing of human thought and creativity to machines. 'The challenge is the inevitable outsourcing of human thought and creativity to AI, which will render more and more human faculties redundant, as technology has done in the past—but this will happen on a wider and more pervasive scale than ever before. Therefore, professors will have to enhance their own AI training so as to be able to easily catch inferior collaboration with AI by students.' Calling for a multi-stakeholder approach in formulating guidelines for the use of AI in academia, IIM-Raipur Director Ram Kumar Kakani said the importance of involving government, industry, academic leaders, and AI experts in developing effective AI-in-education policies. 'AI systems should be based on proven educational methodologies and aligned with clearly defined learning objectives,' he said. 'Regular audits of these systems and their data handling processes are essential to identify potential privacy risks and safeguard user data. A phased implementation strategy, beginning with pilot projects, will ensure adaptability and help make AI a responsible enabler of learning and innovation in Indian academia.' (Edited by Sanya Mathur) Also Read: CBSE asks schools to establish 'sugar boards' to monitor & reduce sugar consumption among children
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Kamal Haasan interview: On ‘Thug Life', AI in cinema and his unrealised projects
In October 2024, during the promotional activities of Sivakarthikeyan-Sai Pallavi-starrer Amaran at Chennai's Raajkamal Films International (RKFI) office, the person missing from the thick of things was none other than the film's producer: Kamal Haasan. 'Avar US ku padikka poitaar (He has gone to the US to study),' said someone at his office, referring to the actor's decision to take off to the United States of America to study artificial intelligence. At 70, with multiple awards and films in several languages to his credit, Kamal Haasan might be widely regarded as one of the best actors in the country. He, however, still considers himself a 'student', which prompted his decision to set aside time to study artificial intelligence, curious about its use in his field of work. 'We are all part luddites. That's our problem,' says the actor, 'That's why I have the naivety to say that I want to learn AI. They kept asking me what exactly I want to learn – which is when I realised there are so many verticals in the film industry itself.' Kamal vouches to keep learning more – which, he hopes, will help him streamline his current film assignments and probably aid in executing his dream projects. 'We are still not good with scheduling and budgeting. We are not good with compartmentalising and delegating. AI will take away the chore in the job and the thinking person inside you has a better chance,' he says. In the US, Kamal Haasan visited the Perplexity AI headquarters, interacting extensively with its CEO, Aravind Srinivas. He also attended NAB 2025 in Las Vegas, which showcased how AI technologies could enhance storytelling and streamline production processes. 'I have never studied in a classroom, so my study continues,' he tells us. It did – on the sets of his upcoming film, Thug Life, as well. The film marks the coming together of Kamal Haasan and ace director Mani Ratnam after three decades; their last outing was Nayakan (1987), one of Tamil cinema's biggest classics. 'Both of us have evolved since then,' he says, 'He (Mani Ratnam) changed the landscape of Tamil cinema, which influenced filmmaking across India. I believe that the more ethnic you become, the more international you become – this is a quote that Singeetam Srinivasa Rao (director-screenwriter) is quite fond of, and I picked it up from him.' Kamal is probably referring to the globe-trotting action drama in Thug Life, in which he plays a gangster named Rangaraya Sakthivel, prompting fans to discuss a possible Nayakan link to the current film (Kamal's name in the 1987 film was Sakthivel 'Velu' Naicker). 'Thug Life will make you forget Nayakan. Otherwise, we are not doing our jobs well. Maybe chronologically you can say Nayakan and Thug Life, but out of appreciation, it should be the other way round,' says Kamal. He describes the film as an 'extension of his life'. 'I've been both; I have lived a life and have been a thug in my teens. The kinetic energy will push you to do wrong things when you're people in college do it. I've never been to college, so I might have just been a cruder thug. I'm not proud of it, though.' Thug Life has music by AR Rahman, whose music is quite different from Ilaiyaraaja, Kamal Haasan's collaborator for a long time. What was the difference? 'With Ilaiyaraaja's songs, I was immediately able to say, 'Oh yes, I like this.' But it was different with Rahman. I remember listening to 'Kappaleri Poyachu' from Indian (1996)for the first time. I just shrugged, because it was just him singing with a beatbox. But when I saw the final version of the song, ending with 'Saare Jahaan Se Acha'... it blew my mind,' recalls Kamal, who believes that his music should be classified as 'slow nectar' than 'slow poison'. Debuting as a child actor in Kalathur Kannama (1960) when he was just five, Kamal Haasan has acted with generations of actors – from the late thespian Sivaji Ganesan to Silambarasan. Considering his vast experience in front of the camera, did he give his Thug Life co-stars Silambarasan, Ashok Selvan and Trisha an acting tip or two? 'My guru was K Balachander (late director), but he did not teach me. He gave me an opportunity and in conversation, I picked up skills. That's how it should be done.' While the actor's upcoming roster suggests more adrenaline-pumping moments – he has a film with stunt masters-turned-directors Anbariv scheduled next – there is also a growing clamour among fans for Kamal to return to the comedy genre, for which he successfully teamed up with the late comedian-writer Crazy Mohan on many films, like Avvai Shanmughi and Panchathanthiram, among others. 'I don't miss him, because he has left a lot of him in me. Without work, we spoke with each other every day about everything under the sun, including ideologies, puranas and yayatis,' recalls Kamal Haasan. So, will a comedy subject surface sometime soon? 'Humour is not fast food. You must add so many condiments and serve,' he says. Post Thug Life, the promotions of which are keeping him busy at the moment, Kamal Haasan will move on to other projects. Other than his immediate film commitments, the actor-director also wishes to explore ways to execute his unrealised projects, such as Marmayogi, Sabaash Naidu and Marudhunayagam. Malayalam actor Joju George recently mentioned that Kamal Haasan's iPad has more than 400 scripts, something that the Thug Life actor smilingly dismisses as an 'exaggeration'. 'I might have around 30. And some more, which are not yet completed,' he reveals, 'There's one lying with me titled Suryadhaagam, which revolves around an established Godman and his ascent into a living God. It's a bit like Caligula (Roman Emperor), who did not die a good death. My story does not do into that, but it talks about the morbidity of man's hubris.'
