The popular OpenClaw AI application has inspired numerous copycats on GitHub and prompted shifts in strategy from leading AI companies such as Meta. Perplexity has now entered the field of personal AI assistants by releasing a system that allows users to direct groups of subordinate AI agents.
Announced on Wednesday, the tool known as Computer is described as a versatile digital assistant that uses the same interfaces as humans. Perplexity's chief business officer, Dmitry Shevelenko, refers to it as an advanced system for coordinating multiple AI models.
Despite the technical jargon, the essential feature of Perplexity Computer is its capability as an autonomous AI agent that performs real-world tasks. This aligns it with offerings like Meta's Manus AI and the open-source OpenClaw, which ignited the surge in interest for personal AI agents only a few weeks back.
Development of Computer, accessible at present solely to Perplexity Max subscribers, started last month as an in-house trial, according to Shevelenko's LinkedIn post. He credited the rapid progress to efficiencies where tasks that typically require weeks from a team were completed in a single night.
The system draws on several AI models: Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.6 serves as the primary reasoning component, Gemini manages in-depth research efforts, Nano Banana generates images, Veo 3.1 produces videos, Grok supports quick operations in simple tasks, and ChatGPT 5.2 handles extended context memory and broad searches.
Similar to OpenClaw, Perplexity Computer can be assigned to various projects, ranging from developing a web dashboard or application to preparing a PowerPoint presentation or animated GIF. It formulates a strategy, produces the final output, and assigns specialized sub-agents for duties like sourcing API keys, programming, or additional investigations.
In contrast to OpenClaw, which operates on local devices, Perplexity Computer runs entirely in the cloud within a controlled environment and connects to external services through numerous built-in connections. This setup offers security against uncontrolled AI behavior on personal machines but limits its scope to the defined boundaries, while OpenClaw can access and modify user devices if permitted.
Users interact with Perplexity Computer through the dedicated Perplexity application, differing from OpenClaw and Meta's Manus AI, which support conversations in popular messaging platforms including WhatsApp, Discord, and Telegram.
Shevelenko mentioned that the team initially engaged with the tool using Slack, viewing it as a virtual employee rather than a mere agent, but later rebranded it as Computer to reflect its broader utility and released it for public use.