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Perplexity, an AI-driven search engine, has introduced a new feature to track U.S. general election results, asserting its reliability despite occasional inaccuracies associated with AI technologies.
The company launched a specialised hub for election information, which integrates data from The Associated Press and Democracy Works, describing it as “an entry point for understanding key issues” in a recent blog post.
Starting Tuesday, Perplexity will provide live updates on elections, allowing users to stay informed about presidential, Senate, and House races at both state and national levels. The company expressed gratitude to Democracy Works for granting access to its Elections API to enhance these offerings.
The election hub is designed to address various election-related inquiries, including voting requirements and polling hours. It also features AI-generated summaries of ballot measures, candidates, policy positions, and endorsements.
While the hub primarily serves as an interface for data sourced from The Associated Press and Democracy Works’ API, it stands out because many of Perplexity’s competitors have hesitated to implement similar features due to concerns about the potential for AI-generated misinformation.
In contrast to Perplexity’s proactive approach, other platforms like OpenAI’s ChatGPT direct users seeking election results to established news organisations such as The Associated Press and Reuters. Similarly, Anthropic’s Claude chatbot refrains from addressing election-related questions, as does Google’s Gemini.
The accuracy of Perplexity’s hub remains to be seen, particularly given AI’s historical challenges in providing reliable information in this domain. Additional research indicates that major chatbots struggle even more with election inquiries from users who face accessibility challenges or are non-native English speakers.
As Perplexity launches this initiative amid scrutiny over AI’s role in disseminating electoral information, the company aims to establish itself as a trustworthy resource for voters.