Search engines have been an essential part of our digital lives for decades, and Google has reigned as the undisputed leader. However, with the rise of generative artificial intelligence , alternatives have emerged that promise to improve the search experience. One of these is Perplexity , an AI-powered search engine that excels at providing concise answers with citations and references to original sources. But can it really replace Google? To find out, an Android Police journalist conducted an experiment replacing Google with Perplexity for a week. In this article, we analyze the results of their test and what this means for the future of internet search.
The advantages of Perplexity: an organized, ad-free approach
One of the first positive aspects the journalist highlighted was the clarity and organization of the results on Perplexity. Instead of displaying an endless list of links and ads, this search engine offers a direct answer with clear citations and links to the original sources. This is particularly useful for those looking for quick information without the noise of ads and irrelevant results that often plague Google.
An interesting example of its effectiveness occurred when the journalist tried to recall the name of a brewery in Nottingham with only vague information about its location and the alcohol content of a beer he had tasted. Perplexity found the correct answer in the first result, while Google placed it in second place, but with a screen full of unnecessary information.
Another positive aspect of Perplexity is its ability to suggest related questions , making it easier to delve deeper into a topic. Additionally, its history search feature allows easy access to previous queries, something that Google also offers, but in a less intuitive way.
The Problem of Accuracy: The Need to Verify Sources
While Perplexity excels at organization and clarity, its biggest weakness is its accuracy . During the week of testing, the reporter found several of the sources Perplexity cited to be problematic. In one instance, while researching the Google I/O 2025 conference, Perplexity cited a website called Support Plan along with Tech Radar . After reviewing both sources, the reporter noticed that Support Plan had plagiarized its content directly from Tech Radar , but Perplexity deemed it a valid source and prioritized it over the original.
This was repeated multiple times, raising questions about the reliability of its summaries. Furthermore, the search engine also made errors in updating its search results. For example, it claimed that Google was planning to introduce AI in search results , when in fact this feature had already been implemented and then withdrawn months earlier.
The need to manually verify the sources of each answer ended up being a major disadvantage, as it increased the time required to complete a search. Instead of simplifying the investigation, Perplexity ended up making the journalist work twice as hard to obtain the same information that could have been quickly found on Google.
The ethical problem: plagiarism and legal questions
Beyond its technical issues, Perplexity also faces serious ethical and legal questions . Investigations have revealed that the platform is ignoring the Robot Exclusion Protocol (a standard that allows websites to prevent certain search engines from crawling their content). This means that even if a website doesn’t want to be indexed by Perplexity, this AI could be extracting information without permission using third-party crawlers.
Furthermore, the company faces lawsuits for copyright and trademark violations , calling into question its legality and long-term sustainability. This creates additional concerns for those looking for an ethical and reliable search engine.
Is this the future of search or a failed experiment?
At the end of the week of testing, the journalist concluded that Perplexity, while interesting, isn’t ready to replace Google . While its organized answer format and history feature are valuable improvements, the accuracy and ethics issues weigh heavily.
This leaves us with an important question: Is it possible for artificial intelligence to replace Google in information search? At WWWhat’s New , we believe AI has enormous potential to improve search engines, but it still faces critical challenges regarding reliability and copyright. Tools like Perplexity can be useful as a complement, but not as a complete replacement for Google.
For now, it seems the search engine of the future has yet to arrive . But as technology advances, we’re likely to see new solutions that balance AI efficiency with the need for accurate and ethical information.
