Perplexity has unveiled Perplexity Labs, a powerful new AI feature within its platform that transforms natural language prompts into complete projects—ranging from detailed reports and dynamic spreadsheets to basic web applications. Launched Thursday, the feature marks a major expansion of the San Francisco-based company’s capabilities, just a month after it introduced the Perplexity Assistant for iOS.
A Next-Level Research Tool for Pro Users
Currently available to all Perplexity Pro subscribers, Labs is described as a significant upgrade to the platform’s Deep Research mode. It combines deep web browsing with code execution to tackle complex, multi-step tasks—something previously out of reach for the system.
Unlike instant answers, Perplexity Labs may take around 10 minutes or more to deliver results, depending on the task. During that time, the AI uses a range of tools to research, compute, and generate outputs, such as structured datasets, charts, or functional app prototypes.
From Raw Data to Working Apps
According to Perplexity, Labs can write and execute code, apply formulas, structure data, and build visual assets—all based on user prompts. Outputs are organized in a dedicated Assets tab, where users can view or download documents, code files, charts, and images. A separate App tab enables creation of simple web dashboards, slideshows, and websites.
Behind the Scenes: Agentic or Not?
While the company hasn’t confirmed whether Labs employs a multi-agent system or multiple LLMs to handle specific tasks like image generation or coding, the system’s ability to autonomously complete tasks with visible chain-of-thought reasoning suggests a form of agentic behavior. It remains unclear, however, if users can pause or adjust tasks once initiated.
Creative and Analytical Use Cases
Perplexity Labs is designed to support a wide range of use cases. Examples include building custom stock trading strategies, generating company profiles with visual comparisons, and even creating cross-genre film concepts complete with storyboards and screenplays.
This new release aligns with a broader trend of AI-powered productivity tools becoming more interactive and embedded—Perplexity’s tools, for instance, are now also accessible within Slack, alongside Adobe Express and others.
As AI platforms grow increasingly capable of executing complex tasks, Perplexity Labs signals a shift from static Q&A to truly actionable AI—bridging the gap between search, data processing, and app creation.
