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Perplexity AI — Free Mini Course

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What is Perplexity AI?

Your new favorite way to get answers — fast, smart, and easy to understand.

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Certificate awaits

Complete all 14 slides & quiz to earn your Perplexity AI cert

It Answers Your Questions Directly

  • Perplexity AI is like a super-smart search engine. You type a question in plain English — just like texting a friend — and it gives you a real answer right away.
  • Google gives you 10 links. You have to click each one and read through them yourself.
  • Perplexity reads all the sources for you and gives you one clear, helpful answer.

You Can Trust the Answers

  • Every answer comes with little footnotes — like tiny links — that show you exactly where the information came from. So you get speed AND you can double-check anything you want.
  • Get answers in seconds instead of spending 10 minutes clicking through websites.
  • Every fact has a link to the original website so you know it's real.
  • No confusing jargon. Just clear, simple answers written for real people.

How It's Different From Google

  • Google shows you a list of links and says "good luck!" Perplexity actually reads those links for you and tells you what they say. It's like the difference between getting a map and having someone drive you there.

Think of It Like a Research Helper

  • Imagine having a really well-read friend who has read thousands of articles. You ask them a question, and they give you a clear, honest answer — not just a pile of links to sort through.
  • Type anything in plain English
  • It checks multiple sources at once
  • One clear response with sources
  • It's especially great for tricky questions that need info from lots of different places.

Pro Features Worth Knowing

  • The free version of Perplexity is already really good. But if you want even more power, there's a Pro plan for $20 a month.

What You Get With Pro

  • Get access to GPT-4o and Claude — two of the most powerful AIs in the world — for even better, richer answers.
  • Drop in a PDF, a report, or any document and ask questions about it. Great for school or work!
  • Need to dig really deep into a topic? This mode does multi-step research — like having a whole team working for you.
  • If you build apps or websites, you can plug Perplexity's brain right into your own projects.
  • 💡 The free version is already awesome for everyday research. Pro is for power users!

Best Ways to Use Perplexity

  • Once you start using it, you'll wonder how you ever lived without it. Here are some of the best ways to put it to work for you every day.

5 Things You Can Do Right Now

  • Research a topic before you walk in the room. Know more than everyone else in minutes.
  • Heard something that sounds fishy? Ask Perplexity and it'll tell you if it's true — with proof.
  • Trying to pick between two software options? Perplexity pulls real reviews and specs so you can decide fast.
  • Ask "what's happening with [topic]?" and get a quick, clear summary of recent news.
  • Stop clicking through 10 tabs. Just ask Perplexity and get the answer in one shot.

The "Focus" Feature is a Game Changer

  • One of the coolest tricks in Perplexity is called Focus. It lets you tell the AI exactly where to look for answers.
  • Find real opinions from real people on any topic
  • Search only trusted science and research articles
  • Find videos about exactly what you're looking for
  • Get only the latest news stories on your topic
  • Instead of searching the whole internet, you can zoom in on just the sources that matter most to you.

Free vs. Pro — Which One is Right for You?

  • 🎉 Start with the free plan. It's seriously impressive — most people never need to upgrade!

Quiz Time! Test What You Learned

  • You've made it through the whole Perplexity AI course! Let's see how much you remember. Don't worry — it's not a real test. Just a fun way to lock in what you learned. 🎉

Quick Knowledge Check

  • Answer: A direct, clear answer — with sources attached so you can verify it.
  • Answer: It lets you search only specific places — like Reddit, YouTube, or academic papers.
  • Answer: Smarter AI models, file uploads, Deep Research mode, and API access.
  • Answer: Google shows links. Perplexity reads them for you and gives you one clear answer.
Final Quiz

You're a Perplexity Pro! 🎉

What makes Perplexity different from traditional search engines?

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