Today, Perplexity has launched a new tool called Perplexity Patent, which is an AI-powered patent research tool designed to make intellectual property (IP) intelligence accessible to everyone. It is said to be the first AI patent research agent, and it plans to simplify and modernize how people discover, analyse, and interact with patents.
Traditional patent search systems often demand complex keyword syntax and professional expertise to yield meaningful results. Plus the Public tools in the space are limited, and enterprise-grade platforms can be costly and difficult to use. Perplexity Patents wants to change that by allowing users to perform natural language searches instead of entering rigid keyword combinations.
The system is built on Perplexity’s “citation-first” approach, automatically understanding patent-oriented queries like “Are there any patents on AI for language learning?” or “Key quantum computing patents since 2024?” It then delivers collections of relevant patents, complete with inline viewing and direct links to original documents. Users can continue the conversation with follow-up questions without needing to start over, and the system will even suggest related topics for deeper exploration.
Unlike traditional search tools, Perplexity Patents goes beyond exact keyword matches, surfacing related prior art that might otherwise be missed. For example, a query about “fitness trackers” will also identify patents describing “activity bands” or “health monitoring wearables.”
Behind the interface, Perplexity Patents runs on a sophisticated agentic research system that breaks down complex queries into smaller retrieval tasks. These are executed on a dedicated patent knowledge index built atop Perplexity’s exabyte-scale infrastructure. The agent then compiles results from dozens to hundreds of supporting documents to produce comprehensive answers in real time.
Perplexity Patents launches today in beta, available globally and free for all users. Those with Pro and Max subscriptions will get higher usage limits and additional configuration options.
