Perplexity, the AI-first knowledge engine developed by OpenAI, is partnering with SoundHound, a leader in voice AI, to enhance the capabilities of SoundHound’s Chat AI voice assistant. This collaboration will leverage Perplexity’s online large language model (LLM) to provide users with a better experience and access to more comprehensive information.
SoundHound’s Chat AI is a voice assistant that allows users to interact and obtain answers on various topics. It combines real-time data with static large language models to generate responses. By incorporating Perplexity’s online LLMs, Chat AI will be able to handle more complex queries and provide accurate, up-to-date information.
The integration of Perplexity’s models into Chat AI will enable users to ask time-sensitive questions and receive live information. For example, a user can ask about the price of gas this week compared to last week, and Chat AI will provide accurate gas prices along with a generative AI-style comparison. Users can even follow up with a command like “Navigate to the nearest gas station,” and Chat AI will seamlessly incorporate data from appropriate sources to provide directions.
It is worth noting that SoundHound has not specified which online LLMs from Perplexity it plans to use. Perplexity currently offers two sizes: pplx-7b-online and pplx-70b-online. However, regardless of the specific models used, this partnership will position SoundHound Chat AI as a strong competitor to voice assistants like Google Assistant and Alexa.
Both Google and Amazon have announced plans to enhance their voice assistants with generative AI models, but these experiences have not yet been rolled out globally. Apple is also expected to introduce an improved gen AI-driven avatar or Siri. With the integration of Perplexity’s LLMs, voice assistants are likely to engage in more organic, human-like conversations and provide more accurate responses.
For Perplexity, the collaboration with SoundHound expands its distribution channels and increases the reach of its LLM-driven search capabilities. Prior to this partnership, Perplexity had independently partnered with companies such as SoftBank, Deutsche Telekom, SK Telecom, ElevenLabs, Copy AI, Arc, and Nothing.
Overall, the integration of Perplexity’s online LLMs into SoundHound’s Chat AI voice assistant marks a significant milestone in the development of voice AI technology. Users can expect smarter voice assistants that are capable of handling complex queries and providing more helpful and accurate responses.