'AI is the Computer': Perplexity reveals Personal Computer, a cloud-based AI agent running on your Mac

• Personal Computer is designed to be your personal assistant with access to all your tools
• It's installed on a Mac mini with access to 20 frontier models and more
• The enterprise productivity gains could be immense, Perplexity says

Perplexity has launched the groundbreaking notion of a 'Personal Computer', which offers users a highly integrated AI-backed personal assistant directly within the macOS interface.

The multi-model system uses 20 frontier models, AI search and agentic internet access. In its announcement, Perplexity suggests AI itself becomes the computer, capable of understanding goals, using tools and doing work autonomously.

"Personal Computer runs on a dedicated Mac mini that can run 24/7, connected to your local apps and Perplexity’s secure servers," the company noted.

Perplexity wants to make your Mac mini your personal assistant

Perplexity's Personal Computer acts as a digital proxy, which can be accessed and controlled from any device anywhere. The company stressed that safeguards, like a kill switch for immediate shutdown in the event of rogue behavior and audit trails, are all built-in.

The announcement comes among the growing popularity of OpenClaw, another personal assistant that users are installing on Mac minis.

And for enterprise-grade customers, the company also promises to integrate with third-party software like Snowflake, Salesforce and HubSpot via app connectors. The Comet Enterprise browser also serves as an AI-first browser for business customers, with Perplexity recognizing that most of today's work is accessed online.

Perplexity claims to have saved $1.6m in labor costs, and done 3.25 years' worth of work in just four weeks using this tool.

Four of the APIs that power Personal Computer – Search, Agent, Embeddings and Sandbox – are also being made available for developers.

To further improve accuracy across some of the most common workflows Perplexity claims to observe, the company is also adding Premium Sources for accurate, up-to-date information, partnering with the likes of Statista, CB Insights and Pitchbook. Other live data sources, including SEC filings, S&P Global, Coinbase, LSEG and more will enhance financial accuracy.

Perplexity's Personal Computer is now accepting prospective users via a waitlist.

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