In a move to simplify a traditionally complex field, Perplexity AI has launched Perplexity Patents, a new tool designed to make patent research accessible to a broader audience. The platform, which the company calls an "AI patent research agent," uses conversational language to help users navigate the dense world of intellectual property.

For decades, conducting comprehensive patent research has been a specialist's game. It required mastery of precise keyword combinations and obscure syntax on professional platforms that are often costly and come with a steep learning curve. Public tools, while free, typically offer limited capabilities. This has created a high barrier to entry for inventors, entrepreneurs, and researchers who need to understand the existing landscape of innovation.

Perplexity Patents attempts to break down these barriers by applying the company's signature conversational AI to global patent databases. Instead of constructing complex Boolean search strings, users can ask questions in plain English, such as “Are there any patents on AI for language learning?” or “Show me key quantum computing patents since 2024.”

How It Works: A Conversational Approach to Prior Art

The tool functions like a dialogue. Users can ask a primary question and then dig deeper with follow-ups without starting a new search, maintaining context throughout the session. The AI is designed to understand the intent behind patent-oriented queries and returns collections of relevant patents with an inline viewer and direct links to original documents.

A key claimed advantage is its ability to move beyond rigid keyword matching. For example, a search for “fitness trackers” might also uncover patents for “activity bands” or “health monitoring wearables,” even if those exact terms were not used in the query. This conceptual understanding aims to help users surface decisive prior art that might be missed by traditional methods.

Behind the user-friendly interface, Perplexity states that a "state-of-the-art agentic research system" powers the tool. This AI agent breaks down complex questions into smaller tasks, executes them using a specialized patent index, and synthesizes the results—from dozens to hundreds of documents—into a coherent answer.

Looking Beyond Patents

Recognizing that modern innovation isn't confined to formal patents, Perplexity Patents also extends its search capabilities to other sources. When relevant, the tool can explore academic papers, public software repositories, and other public venues where new ideas often first appear, providing a more holistic view of the technological landscape.

Availability

Perplexity Patents is launching as a beta product and is available worldwide starting today. During the beta period, the tool will be free for all users. Perplexity Pro and Enterprise subscribers will receive additional usage quotas and model configuration options.

By leveraging AI to handle the complexity of search syntax and conceptual matching, Perplexity Patents represents a significant step towards democratizing access to intellectual property intelligence, potentially empowering a new wave of innovators to build upon the ideas of the past.