Perplexity on AI Agents: Not Assistants, But Thinking Partners New data shows AI agents are not being used for “simple tasks.” A Harvard–Perplexity study analyzed hundreds of millions of real user interactions inside the Comet browser and agent. 57% of usage = cognitive work Not automation. Thinking work. Breakdown: • 36% productivity and workflow • 21% learning and research So users aren’t treating agents like assistants. They’re using them to analyze, compare, and synthesize information. Examples from the study: • Procurement teams evaluating vendors • Finance professionals screening investments • Students navigating course material Adoption pattern matters: • Users start with low-stakes queries • Over time, shift into productivity • Productivity + learning = highest retention Key stat: 6 occupations drive 70% of total usage Marketing, sales, management, and founders show the highest stickiness. Founder takeaway: Your moat is workflow integration, not the model. Are you building task automation or cognitive infrastructure? #artificialintelligence #ai #technology #aiforbusiness perplexity
♬ original sound – Eugina I Building YOUnifiedAI – Eugina I Building YOUnifiedAI
@euginastartupfounder Perplexity on AI Agents: Not Assistants, But Thinking Partners New data shows AI agents are not being used for “simple tasks.” A Harvard–Perplexity study analyzed hundreds of millions of real user interactions inside the Comet browser and agent. 57% of usage = cognitive work Not automation. Thinking work. Breakdown: • 36% productivity and workflow • 21% learning and research So users aren’t treating agents like assistants. They’re using them to analyze, compare, and synthesize information. Examples from the study: • Procurement teams evaluating vendors • Finance professionals screening investments • Students navigating course material Adoption pattern matters: • Users start with low-stakes queries • Over time, shift into productivity • Productivity + learning = highest retention Key stat: 6 occupations drive 70% of total usage Marketing, sales, management, and founders show the highest stickiness. Founder takeaway: Your moat is workflow integration, not the model. Are you building task automation or cognitive infrastructure? #artificialintelligence #ai #technology #aiforbusiness perplexity
♬ original sound – Eugina I Building YOUnifiedAI – Eugina I Building YOUnifiedAI
