Perplexity Personal Computer for Mac now testable
AI provider Perplexity has made its announcement come true and now allows the use of its Mac control. There are a few things to consider.
Logo of Perplexity Computer: Usage requires courage.
(Image: Perplexity)
The local agentic AI system Perplexity Personal Computer, presented in March, has been available to specific user groups for a few days. Perplexity writes this in its official team blog. The software allows for complete control of a macOS computer – particularly the Mac mini is envisioned here – similar to what is known from OpenClaw and others. The computer's GUI is also taken over. The idea is to be able to address a constantly available local AI system even from the cloud. However, “local” is relative here: For most complex tasks, Personal Computer will likely simply use server assistance.
Pro subscription is the minimum requirement
Perplexity has implemented the AI system in the form of a Mac app. Currently, it can only be downloaded from Perplexity itself, not from the Mac App Store. Apparently, the only moderately popular Perplexity browser Comet is also required: “Use Comet with Personal Computer to unlock browsing, research, and web automation directly from your desktop,” Perplexity writes.
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The basic requirement for using Personal Computer is having a subscription with Perplexity. Fortunately, this is not limited to the Max tier – Pro and Enterprise subscribers are also allowed to play along (from $17 USD per month with annual billing). Initially, it remained unclear whether there were country restrictions; however, the Perplexity website, in German, did not give the impression that the service is blocked in the EU.
The “personal orchestrator”
Personal Computer is intended to be a kind of “personal orchestrator,” Perplexity further states, capable of performing complete workflows on the Mac. Via Comet, there is also web access without direct connectors, meaning adaptations to the agents. The system sees all apps present on the Mac and is intended to interact with them. Perplexity emphasizes that what drives Personal Computer is verifiable and can be undone. How this works in practice remains to be seen in initial tests.
Examples of Personal Computer usage that Perplexity had mentioned include responding to incoming messages and emails, managing and processing to-do lists, or sorting file folders. Furthermore, the system is supposed to be able to synchronize data with the web – meaning you can secure a local document with information from the internet. Perplexity provides information on setting up Personal Computer on its website. This includes, among other things, requesting permissions for accessibility features, through which the Mac is then controlled. You can also choose folders with which Personal Computer is allowed to interact. Finally, and this is likely the most dangerous step, Perplexity also wants access to a connected smartphone, for example, to confirm 2FA queries. This would also allow tasks to be started when not at the Mac.
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