No Longer Perplexed
Yet Another AI Story
As a writer who publishes on Amazon KDP, I’m careful not to use AI in writing or cover art. They have a rule against it, and while I suspect some use it, it’s unwise. If you lose your Amazon KDP privileges you have lost a major channel to publish.
But one can ask general questions of AI and even do research. Once you use great AI, it knocks search engines out of the water. There are no “sponsored” results or jimmied answers from SEOxperts.
I started using the Perplexity app on my phone (it seems to be free) and it’s sharp. I tried a bunch. I mean it: the best.
Here are some of the questions I’ve asked it recently. Questions like these do not get good results on search engines:
1. Which did fans like better, Kill Bill 1 or 2?
Typical search engine response: “Watch this here on streaming!” and images of currency.
2. What are universal problems affecting teenagers in all human eras?
Typical search engine response: “Best acne medicines” and “new warnings about teens and social media.”
3. Does North Carolina have a state tax on groceries?
Typical search engine response: Food Lion! Ingles! Harris Teeter! Publix! and images of food.
4. Is there a household stove that is an electric oven with a gas stovetop?
Typical search engine response: ads for stoves at Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and their websites.
5. What is the best and least intrusive free job-search website?
Typical search engine response: about the same! Indeed and LinkedIn. (Any writer can tell you they sometimes look for part-time work.)
6. If you have a metal roof on your house are you better protected from a falling tree?
Typical search engine response: where to buy metal roofs. (It’s been very windy in western North Carolina lately, and after Hurricane Helene, we’ve had our fill of danger.)
You don’t have to use the link above for Perplexity. I don’t get any kind of compensation for this, not even the nuggets of commission one gets from product links.
Just find Perplexity on your phone apps or desktop by putting in the word. I’m grateful to the person who told me about it, and this is a public service announcement from Chuck Mallory.
