Perplexity, a leading player in the AI space, has made a significant move by acquiring Carbon, a small Seattle-based startup. This acquisition is set to revolutionize the way AI systems interact with external data sources. CEO Aravind Srinivasan has announced that by 2025, Perplexity will be able to search through files and work messages in Notion, Google Docs, Slack, and other enterprise applications.
Empowering Enterprise Search with Perplexity's Acquisition
How Carbon's Technology Enhances Perplexity's Answer Engine
Carbon specializes in retrieval augmented generation (RAG), a technology that enables large language models to access information from external databases before generating answers. This integration allows Perplexity to tap into a vast pool of data, making its answer engine more informed and accurate. By bringing Carbon's technology and staff on board, Perplexity is opening the door to launching enterprise search products that can connect generative AI to enterprise databases. Employees will now be able to quickly search through the massive amount of unstructured data their companies have accumulated over the years.As Perplexity stated in a recent statement, "Carbon will make it easier for Perplexity's answer engine to be informed by diverse sources of information, whether that data resides in internal databases, cloud storage, or document repositories." This emphasizes the importance of external data in enhancing the performance of Perplexity's AI system.
The acquisition of Carbon also positions Perplexity as a key player in the competitive enterprise AI search space. OpenAI, in its latest $6.6 billion round, reportedly restricted investors from also investing in Glean, the current front runner in enterprise search. This has sparked competition among AI giants, with Google and several others also developing their own enterprise search products. It seems that Perplexity is also inspired by this trend and is leveraging Carbon's technology to stay ahead in the game.
Perplexity's Acquisition Strategy and Its Impact
This is not Perplexity's first acquisition. In 2023, the company acquired Spellwise, and its CEO was brought on board to develop Perplexity's mobile app. This shows Perplexity's commitment to expanding its capabilities and reaching a wider audience. The acquisition of Carbon further strengthens Perplexity's position in the market and gives it a competitive edge.By combining the expertise of Carbon's team with Perplexity's existing technology, the company is poised to deliver innovative enterprise search solutions. The ability to search through multiple enterprise applications and access diverse data sources will be a game-changer for businesses looking to leverage the power of AI in their operations.
Moreover, the acquisition of Carbon aligns with the growing trend of enterprise AI search. As businesses generate and accumulate vast amounts of unstructured data, the need for efficient search tools becomes crucial. Perplexity's acquisition addresses this need and provides businesses with a powerful solution to navigate their data.
