Recently, Perplexity, a leading AI search company, has launched the "Email Assistant" feature. This AI-powered email assistant addresses pain points and promises to completely free users from manual operations. Designed specifically for Gmail and Outlook users, this feature was officially launched on September 22, marking Perplexity's deep entry into the productivity tools field.

Key Features: Covering Everything from Routine Tasks to Intelligent Decisions

Email Assistant is not just a simple automation tool but rather a private secretary embedded in the email system. It seamlessly connects users' calendars and email accounts and supports cross-device (mobile and computer) synchronization. Here are its main highlights:

Automated Meeting Scheduling: The AI scans email threads, checks the availability of all participants, automatically suggests the best meeting time, and sends the invitation with one click. This means no more back-and-forth confirmation of schedules, saving hours of communication time.

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Intelligent Reply Draft Generation: The assistant analyzes the user's historical emails, matches their personal tone style, and quickly drafts replies. Whether it's formal business emails or casual internal communications, it maintains consistent expression and avoids an overly "AI-like" feel.

Inbox Priority Organization: The AI automatically tags emails, categorizing them as "Action Required," "For Reference Only," or "Completed," and provides a daily list of priority items. Spam filtering and thread summary features help users stand out instantly from the ocean of information.

Users can simply connect their accounts through the dedicated page on Perplexity's official website to activate it. Subsequent operations are simple: CC the AI in an email (cc assistant@perplexity.com), and it will take over the rest of the process.

Access Requirements: Exclusive to Max Subscription, Pricing Sparks Debate

Notably, Email Assistant is currently available only to Perplexity Max plan users, which costs $200 per month. This makes it more like a "premium toy" for executives or heavy users rather than a tool for the general public. Perplexity emphasizes that the feature complies with SOC2 and GDPR standards, and user data is not used for model training, only for personalized services. However, the high price has sparked some user complaints, as it is questionable whether it offers good value compared to Google Gemini ($20/month) or Microsoft Copilot.

Market Impact: AI Productivity Sector Stirs Up Waves Again

Perplexity's move further strengthens its position in the AI agent (Agent) field. Previously launched Comet browser has proven that Max users can complete 3-18 times more daily tasks. The emergence of Email Assistant directly challenges Google and Microsoft's email AI ecosystems, although both have similar summarization and drafting functions, there is still a gap in integration depth and agent autonomy.

Industry observers believe that as AI transitions from "Q&A" to "action," the role of email as a "professional memory center" will be reshaped. Perplexity's CEO said, "Email is not just a pile of messages; it is the hub of relationships and productivity." Whether this feature will be extended to free users or support more email clients (such as Apple Mail) remains to be closely watched.