GONE are the days when researching meant typing a keyword into a search engine, opening tab after tab, and piecing together insights from scattered links. With the rise of AI-powered tools like Perplexity and Google’s Gemini Advanced Pro Deep Research, the landscape of research has transformed.
These advanced systems go beyond basic search engines, leveraging deep research capabilities to provide nuanced, contextualized and ready-to-use information at your fingertips. For this column, I used both AI tools to research sentiment analysis.
Perplexity AI
Perplexity AI is a conversational search engine that provides concise answers to questions by analyzing top search results. It’s praised for its speed and ability to provide quick overviews of topics or information on recent events.
A key strength of Perplexity is its commitment to citing sources, which allows for easy fact-checking and validation of information. It also excels at handling long prompts and offers a “focus mode” specifically designed for writers.
Some users have pointed out that Perplexity sometimes relies on less credible sources and can provide answers that lack depth. Others value the transparency of Perplexity AI in providing source history, allowing them to verify the credibility and reliability of the information presented.
Compared to traditional search engines, Perplexity AI offers a conversational and interactive experience, going beyond links to deliver meaningful insights. Unlike AI chatbots, it prioritizes factual accuracy and research capabilities over creative conversation. Feedback highlights that Perplexity AI may sometimes provide surface-level details, particularly when handling niche topics or lesser-known research papers. While it excels in offering general overviews and summaries, it might not fully explore the intricacies of specialized subjects.
Upon examination, I found that some citations provided by Perplexity AI were inaccurate, highlighting the need to always verify sources.
Gemini Advanced Pro with Deep Research
Gemini Advanced Pro takes a more in-depth approach, catering to users needing comprehensive analysis for complex research tasks that require more than a simple search query. Deep Research has rolled out Gemini Advanced (starting in English) on desktop and mobile web and will be available in the mobile app in early 2025.
To start, toggle the model drop-down to “Gemini 1.5 Pro with Deep Research” and enter your research question. It goes beyond providing surface-level answers by creating a multi-step research plan that you can review and edit.
Once approved, Gemini Advanced Pro with Deep Research conducts in-depth analysis of information from across the web, similar to how a human researcher would explore various sources and synthesize information. It then generates a comprehensive report with key findings, organized sections, and links to original sources. This feature is handy for tasks like competitor analysis, in-depth topic exploration, and researching complex subjects that require information from various sources.
Occasionally, Gemini gives me replies such as, “I’m a language model and don’t have the capacity to help with that.” When Gemini is working on the research, it replies with, “I’m on it. I’ll let you know when your research is done. In the meantime, you can leave this chat.”
Early impressions are generally favorable. Users have commended its speed and capacity to analyze extensive amounts of information. For instance, one Reddit user highlighted its ability to analyze 237 web pages in response to a single prompt. One reviewer observed that while impressive, Deep Research “lacked a nuanced understanding that comes from reading actual academic papers or doing your own primary research.”
A key insight from user feedback on Reddit is that Deep Research excels in broader research areas, such as AI chatbots or interior design trends. At the same time, its accuracy may be less reliable for highly specialized or niche topics like stock market predictions. For example, one reviewer found Deep Research to be “more or less useless” for stock market research due to inaccuracies in the data provided.
Perplexity AI and Gemini Advanced Pro each excel in unique areas — Perplexity for quick overviews and Gemini for detailed research. Your choice depends on your goals and the level of detail required.
Remember, these tools are not substitutes for original thought and creativity but powerful aids to enhance your research process. By combining them with your expertise, you can unlock new possibilities in research.
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