While Google remains the world’s most popular search engine, the arrival of generative artificial intelligence has opened the door to some intriguing rivals. If you’re looking for a specific answer to a question rather than a list of links, generative AI can be preferable to run-of-the-mill search engines. We’ve discussed some of those alternatives in the past, but below, we’ve rounded up three AI-powered search engines you should try out.
1. Perplexity AI
One of the most impressive AI search engines currently available is Perplexity. We have written extensively about Perplexity in the past, and as my colleague Andy Meek wrote back in January, it is “respectful of both the users it serves and the content it surfaces.”
First and foremost, Perplexity is easy to use. When you visit the website, you will see a mostly blank page with a search box in the center. Click on the search box, and a selection of notable, newsworthy topics will pop up as suggestions. Choose one of the suggestions or type in your own question and click the arrow button to ask the chatbot a question.
Perplexity will then provide an answer alongside a list of sources it used, related searches, and any relevant maps, pictures, and videos on the right side of the page.
You can also create an account to save your threads and you can upgrade to Perplexity Pro for access to more powerful AI models, image generation, and more detailed answers.
2. You.com
Another popular AI search engine is You.com, which describes itself as “a private search engine without privacy-invading ads that you can customize with 150+ apps.” At a glance, the site looks very similar to Perplexity, but there are a few key differences. Most notably, a three-dot menu at the bottom of the page offers a host of useful options, from turning on private mode to changing your region to modifying the recency of your search results.
If the chatbot can’t find what you need, You.com also contains a more traditional search engine with links to other websites, image results, videos, news, and maps.
3. Exa
Earlier this year, the team behind Metaphor renamed its AI-powered search engine Exa. As the team explained in a blog post, “Exa’s goal is to understand any query – no matter how complex – and filter the internet to exactly the knowledge required for that query.”
For instance, when I search for the most popular restaurants in New York City on Google, I see a few suggestions at the top of the page and then countless listicles in the search results.
The same search on Exa simply offers a long list of popular restaurants with direct links to their websites. As useful as a blog can be with detailed reviews and interesting context, sometimes I just want an answer to my question. That’s what Exa does best.
