How to use Perplexity’s new Computer to build a Pricing Intelligence Engine, OKR review system, API cost simulator and more

2026-03-17 · Source: Department of Product · Field: Technology & Digital — Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Software Development & Engineering · Depth: Intermediate, quick

Summary

Perplexity Computer, a general-purpose AI "digital worker" unveiled earlier this year, has propelled Perplexity back into Ramp's top 10 fastest-growing SaaS companies. This tool differentiates itself by creating and executing entire workflows, breaking down user-described outcomes into tasks and subtasks for sub-agents. These sub-agents perform functions like web research, document generation, data processing, or API calls, coordinating automatically and asynchronously. Perplexity Computer's power stems from its multi-model orchestration, routing subtasks to optimal frontier models (e.g., Opus 4.6 for reasoning, Grok for speed, ChatGPT 5.2 for long-context recall) and integrating with tools like Gmail, GitHub, Linear, and Salesforce. A future version will also support local machine execution.

Key takeaway

For product managers seeking to automate complex, multi-step workflows, Perplexity Computer offers a robust solution by orchestrating specialized AI models and integrating with existing tools. Consider leveraging its capabilities to build dashboards for competitor intelligence or systems that convert meeting notes into actionable project tickets, streamlining your operational efficiency.

Key insights

Perplexity Computer is an AI "digital worker" that orchestrates multi-model workflows for complex tasks.

Principles

• Orchestrate multiple AI models for optimal task execution.
• Break down complex outcomes into manageable sub-agents.

Method

Define an outcome; Computer then creates and executes workflows via sub-agents, performing web research, data processing, or API calls, coordinating asynchronously.

In practice

• Build a competitor intelligence dashboard.
• Automate meeting action items into Linear/Jira tickets.

Topics

• Perplexity Computer
• AI Agents
• Multi-model Orchestration
• Workflow Automation
• SaaS Growth

Best for: AI Product Manager, Product Manager, Software Engineer

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by Department of Product.