Perplexity has launched a new AI-powered patent research agent designed to simplify the traditionally difficult process of searching for patents. The new tool allows users to search patent databases using natural language queries instead of complex keyword strings.
The company says users can enter conversational prompts, such as, “Are there any patents on AI language learning?” or “Key quantum computing patents since 2024,” and the AI will return a list of relevant patents along with a generated summary for each one.
The tool is designed to search beyond exact keyword matches, meaning a query for “fitness trackers” would also surface patents filed under conceptually similar terms like “activity bands,” “step-counting watches,” and “health monitoring watches.” The AI agent also expands its search for prior art beyond patent databases to include academic papers, public software repositories, and other sources.
Perplexity’s new patent research tool is available for free to all users while it is in beta. Subscribers to the platform’s Pro and Max plans will receive additional usage quotas and more advanced configuration options.
