Everyday AI Podcast – Ep 726

Title: Perplexity Computer: What it is, How to use it and is it better than OpenClaw?
Host: Jordan Wilson
Date: March 4, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into Perplexity’s new integrated AI agent platform, "Perplexity Computer": what it does, how non-technical professionals can use it, and how it compares to OpenClaw—one of its closest open-source competitors. Host Jordan Wilson delivers a hands-on demo, discusses practical use cases, showcases live examples, and provides a brutally honest assessment of whether Perplexity Computer is worth the investment for most users today.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Evolving Landscape of AI Agents

• AI agents and agentic models are rapidly transforming how businesses leverage automation.
• The space is crowded ("AI agent soup"), with a variety of models and integration approaches that can be overwhelming and often require extensive human oversight and setup.

  “There are so many agentic models... It’s AI agent soup and it still requires a ton of human oversight.” (03:00)

2. Perplexity Computer – What Is It?

• A new option within Perplexity for advanced, hands-off orchestration of AI tasks.
• Access: Currently available only to Max Plan users ($200/month), expanding soon to Pro subscribers.
• Interface: Features a three-pane layout for tasks, navigation, and a detailed "chain of thought"/audit log.
• No need for technical skills: Users simply describe their desired outcomes; Perplexity Computer breaks projects into subtasks and routes each to the most suitable AI model.

3. Hands-On Demos: Practical Use Cases

A. Generating a Complex Animated Bar Race Chart ([09:40]–[20:00])

• Prompt: Create a bar race chart of the “Magnificent Seven” AI stocks over 5 years.
• Outcome:
  • Perplexity Computer fetched financial data, selected visualization tools, and built a playable animation.
  • Initial try was imperfect (used stock price instead of market cap), but could be corrected with a follow-up prompt.
  • Demonstrates rapid iteration and complexity handling; utilized Perplexity’s built-in finance tools.

  “I’ve always wanted to see this exact thing… and Perplexity Computer just did it with two prompts.” (37:58)

B. Auto-Generating a Branded Presentation ([22:00]–[29:30])

• Prompt: "Create a balanced, insightful and factual presentation for my podcast… Emulate the style of my live stream presentations."
• Behind the Scenes:
  • Perplexity Computer searched the web for brand style, extracted YouTube screenshots, utilized multiple models for visuals and text, and experimented with several iterations per user feedback.
  • Used Gemini 3 Flash for image analysis and Claude Sonnet 4.6 for QA.
  • Produced a nearly on-brand deck with little manual style input from the host.

  “It actually did a much better job on the second iteration. It has the normal turquoise heading, the white text, the bottom bar with our website… Pretty much exactly what we put out there.” (31:16)

C. Coding a Gamified Task Tracker ([39:10])

• Prompt: "Create a gamified task tracker for Mac."
• Outcome: Delivered an interactive task tracker (“Quest Log”) with toggles and badge rewards, web and Mac versions, all from a single prompt.

D. Generating a Personalized, Sortable Daily Briefing Website ([40:05])

• Prompt: Build a custom daily AI news dashboard tailored to the audience’s interests.
• Outcome: Created a functional, interactive site with search, filters, light/dark mode, topical sorting, and up-to-date briefings.

  “If you’re not doing something like this almost every day, you are getting behind… You need to be doing this.” (41:55)

4. Perplexity Computer’s Key Capabilities

• Model Routing: Automatically selects from 19 integrated models—including GPT-5.2, Claude Opus 6, Gemini 3.1 Pro, Nano Banana, and more—choosing the best tool for each subtask.
• Workflow Automation: Handles parallel tasks, persistent memory, document connections (Gmail, Slack, Notion, Google Drive), scheduled automations, multi-format generation (video, slides, code, websites).
• Steerability: User can intervene with new prompts mid-task, view detailed reasoning and audit trail, and correct course iteratively.

Memorable Quote:

“The great thing so far that I like about Perplexity is it just uses the right AI model for the right job—even if you don’t even know what the right model is or what the right job is.” (33:01)

Perplexity Computer vs. OpenClaw ([34:35]–[38:50])

Comparison Table (Verbal Summary)

| Feature | Perplexity Computer | OpenClaw | |-------------------------------|------------------------------------|----------------------------------| | Hosting | Cloud-based, sandboxed | Self-hosted/local or cloud | | Setup | Zero setup, instant use | Complex, time-consuming | | Cost | $200/month for Max Plan | Free (but high local hardware/API costs) | | Model Access | 19 auto-routed frontier models | Any model via APIs, more manual | | Integrations | Gmail, Notion, Slack, Google Drive | Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp, more; greater “local” control | | Security | Enterprise-ready, integrated memory | Local data, depends on user setup|

• Who is it for?
  • Perplexity Computer: Executives, business professionals, non-technical users, those valuing security and time.
  • OpenClaw: Developers, technical power users, budget-conscious folks with hardware and setup patience.

Notable Quote:

“If I could have technically unlimited either Perplexity Computer or unlimited OpenClaw, I would probably have unlimited Perplexity Computer because it is more secure, it’s done for you… Whereas with OpenClaw, it takes so much time to get it set up right.” (36:54)

Limitations, Credit System & Value Concerns ([44:40]–[48:40])

• Pricing Issue: $200/month for Max Plan with 10,000 monthly credits.
  • The credit system is easy to burn through. Four test projects (about 7 prompts total) used 40% of credits in under an hour.
  • Some powerful features (like daily briefings) use 800+ credits per run.
• Output Volume: Can’t use it as a daily tool unless credit allotment increases or pricing changes.
• Value Calculation: Other platforms—GPT-5, Claude, Gemini—offer nearly limitless usage for similar or less cost.

Memorable Quote:

“Although I really want to love Perplexity Computer—and I do think it is better than OpenClaw in so many ways—the value’s just not there for me right now.” (48:08)

Final Impressions & Recommendations ([48:40]–[50:10])

• Technical Achievement:
  • Perplexity Computer is “top 10 wow moment” among 500+ AI tools tested—especially for seamless agent orchestration and very little human input.
• Best Use Case:
  • When you need complex, multi-step workflows across models/platforms without having to glue things together yourself.
• Caution:
  • Due to the cost and credit limitations, most listeners are likely better off sticking with primary models or open-source solutions for now.
  • Perplexity Computer may become more compelling as pricing and access evolve.

Closing Quote:

“The capabilities are extremely impressive. The value—I think for the most part—just isn’t there.” (48:08)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment | |----------|-------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:16 | Introduction & context: overwhelming AI model choices | | 06:20 | Perplexity Computer: access, interface, and initial thoughts| | 09:40 | Hands-on demo: Animated stock race chart | | 22:00 | Demo: Generating a podcast presentation automatically | | 31:16 | Presentation style and multiple iteration insights | | 34:35 | Comparison: Perplexity Computer vs. OpenClaw | | 37:58 | Animated market cap chart revisited | | 39:10 | Demo: Gamified Mac task tracker | | 40:05 | Demo: Personalized, sortable AI news dashboard | | 44:40 | Big capabilities—but big questions about credit usage/value | | 48:40 | Final thoughts, practical advice |

Notable Quotes

• On current AI agent fatigue:
  “It’s AI agent soup and it still requires a ton of human oversight.” (03:00)
• On Perplexity Computer’s orchestrating power:
  “It just uses the right AI model for the right job—even if you don’t even know what the right model is or what the right job is.” (33:01)
• On business value:
  “If I could have technically unlimited either Perplexity Computer or unlimited OpenClaw, I would probably have unlimited Perplexity Computer because it is more secure, it’s done for you… with OpenClaw, it takes so much time to get it set up right.” (36:54)
• On drawbacks:
  “The value—I think for the most part—just isn’t there. I can only use this 40 times a month. I’m using AI all day.” (48:08)
• On the AI future:
  “When you talk about the future of personalized knowledge consumption… you need to be doing this.” (41:55)

Summary Table

| Feature | Perplexity Computer | OpenClaw | |------------------------|------------------------------|----------------------------| | Setup | Instant, no-code | Complex, manual | | Cost | $200/mo + credit system | Free (w/ API costs/hardware)| | Model Variety | 19+ integrated, auto-routing | Any (manual routing/setup) | | Integrations | Major business platforms | Messaging apps, flexible | | Security | Enterprise-grade, sandboxed | Depends on user setup | | Best For | Non-tech pros, execs | Devs, power users |

Takeaway

Perplexity Computer is technically outstanding for orchestrating complex, multi-model workflow automation with nearly zero setup and little need for technical know-how. But for now, due to its premium price and restrictive credit model, most users will get better day-to-day value from direct use of major AI platforms or with more DIY (but flexible) tools like OpenClaw. This is one to watch—but maybe not yet one to buy.