Perplexity Unveils AI-Powered Patents Tool That Democratizes Research with Natural Language Search

4 November 2025: Perplexity has unveiled a new AI-powered patent research tool called Perplexity Patents, currently in beta testing and available for free to all users. Described as an AI patent research agent, the platform aims to democratise access to complex patent information by enabling natural language searches and removing traditional barriers to patent research.

According to Perplexity, professional searches have long relied on experts crafting precise keyword combinations and navigating intricate query syntax, while publicly available tools offer limited functionality and specialised databases can be costly. The defining feature is a “citation-first” operational model, which identifies and cites the original source documents before formulating an answer, enhancing transparency and credibility.

Users can pose questions in natural language and receive responses that include embedded patent viewers and direct links to the original documents, with the system also capable of surfacing prior art by interpreting underlying concepts beyond exact phrases. Notably, the AI can broaden its search to academic papers and public code repositories when needed, delivering a holistic view of innovation landscapes.