Perplexity Search

Perplexity production data shows AI agents perform 26 min of autonomous work vs 33 sec for search, cut task time 87%

A paper using production data from Perplexity's Search and Computer products quantifies how autonomous AI agents reshape knowledge work relative to conversational search. Key findings: Computer executes 26 minutes of autonomous work per session versus 33 seconds for Search, reduces task completion time from 269 to 36 minutes on matched tasks (87% time reduction, 94% cost reduction), and lowers per-query dissatisfaction by 55%. The study also finds agents shift user behavior toward higher-order tasks, cross occupational boundaries more often, and unlock work categories essentially absent from search usage.