New AI Assistant on iPhone Can Actually Do Stuff for You

Say Goodbye to Just Talking: Perplexity’s New AI Assistant Can Take Action

Get ready, iPhone users! There’s a new AI assistant in town, and it’s not just about chatting – it can actually do things for you.

Perplexity AI just launched a cool new feature called Perplexity Assistant, which is powered by voice commands. Imagine telling your phone to play a specific podcast, draft an email, or even book a restaurant reservation – all without lifting a finger.

What Makes Perplexity Assistant Different?

While Siri and other voice assistants can answer questions, Perplexity Assistant goes a step further. It can actually perform actions directly on your iPhone, like:

• Playing media
• Drafting emails
• Rescheduling calendar events
• Making restaurant bookings
• Ordering transport
• Setting reminders

Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas even gave some fun examples, like “Play the podcast where Marc Andreessen talks about browsers with Lex Fridman” or “Show me the clip of Katy Perry kissing the ground after landing from the rocket.”

Apple Integration and More to Come

Right now, Perplexity Assistant works with Apple Music and Apple Mail. But get this – support for Gmail and Google Calendar is coming soon, which will make it even more useful for people who use a mix of platforms.

You can launch the assistant with a voice command, or even assign the Action button on newer iPhones to open it instantly.

Limitations and a Steve Jobs Joke

There are a few things Perplexity Assistant can’t do yet because of Apple’s rules. It can’t control things like screen brightness or volume, and it can’t set native alarms. But the team has found clever workarounds, like using in-app reminders.

In a fun nod to Apple’s late co-founder, Srinivas playfully suggested users try triggering the assistant with “Hey Steve.”

“tags”: “iPhone, AI assistant, Perplexity, voice commands, Apple”