Need A Generative AI Tool For Research?

Try Perplexity

@LisaBerghoff

Sometimes I feel like I am a personal shopper for edtech tools. I actually really love it. Come to me with a task you are trying to accomplish or a problem you want to solve, and I will bring you a few options to try on and see what fits best. Lately I am getting a lot of questions about generaive AI and the "best" tools to use. For those of you who are newer to AI, generative AI tools basically generate new content based on a variety of inputs. AI tools are different from doing an internet search such as Google because instead of searching, filtering, and sorting, AI tools create content that is new and are designed to work through a series of conversational style queries. You have probably heard of some of the most common generative AI tools: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Copilot are some of the big ones. The task of figuring out which is best becomes tricky because there is so much crossover from one tool to the next. I have my favorites, and I will tell you what they are and why, but ultimately you need to see what works best for you. 

One generative AI tool that stands out to me for research use is Perplexity. Let me explain what it is and why I like it.

What is Perplexity.AI?

Perplexity AI is a powerful AI-powered search and conversational tool.  In simple terms, Perplexity AI is like having an expert research assistant at your fingertips. It can quickly find and summarize relevant information from the internet in real time on any topic you're teaching or learning, providing detailed, well-researched responses. 

Perplexity AI works by using advanced language models and algorithms to understand the context and meaning behind your queries, rather than just matching keywords. This allows it to provide more relevant and insightful information compared to a typical search engine. With the help of the advanced answer engine, it processes your questions and tasks It then uses predictive text capabilities to generate useful responses, choosing the best one from multiple sources, and summarizes the results in a concise way.

Importantly, Perplexity AI also clearly cites the sources it uses, allowing you and your  students to evaluate the credibility of the information. This promotes critical thinking and information literacy skills.

What Should I Use Perplexity.AI For ?

Here's what the website has to say about that:

How Do I Get Started With Perplexity.AI?

1. Go to perplexity.ai and log in.

2. You can start typing in the "ask anything" box and click the arrow to get your response.

That's it! Here are a few more things for you to know:

• If you click the Focus button in the "ask anything" box, you will see some options. More about those below.
• Once you get your results, you will see the sources used. You can also choose to eliminate certain sources.
• You can  share the results with a link, or click the rewrite button to have it give another try.
• Underneath your results you will also see some suggested follow up prompts, or you can write your own. 

Watch below to see how it works:

How To Use Search Focus:

When you click on the focus button, you will see several options. Here is what they mean.

1. Writing Mode: Writing mode enables you to have a conversation and perform tasks with the help of AI assistant without accessing the internet. This is particularly useful for generating and processing text and code.

2. All: This is a comprehensive search of everything on the internet.

3. Academic: A specialized search within scholarly articles and educational publications.

4. Wolfram Alpha: A focus on computational data and mathematical calculations.

5. YouTube: Allows for targeted searches within YouTube, offering timestamps and the option to watch videos in-platform.

6. Reddit: Focuses on community discussions and opinions, providing a streamlined experience that filters out irrelevant content.

How Do I Know What To Ask?

Crafting an AI prompt is quickly becoming a necessary skill and one that we should be teaching our students, in my opinion. It takes practice and patience. Here are some good tips from Perplexity.ai to get you started.

Ready to give Perplexity a try?

Let me know! I am happy to help get you started.