How to Use Perplexity's FREE Deep Research to Save *Hours* on Research

AI is changing how we do research, and today I’m diving into Perplexity Deep Research—a tool that promises to make academic searches faster, more precise, and entirely free. With research becoming more competitive than ever, tools like Perplexity are offering new ways to access high-quality sources without the usual paywalls or hours of manual searching.

▼ ▽ Sign up for my FREE newsletter
Join 21,000+ email subscribers receiving the free tools and academic tips directly from me:
https://academiainsider.com/newsletter/

▼ ▽ MY TOP SELLING COURSE ▼ ▽
▶ Become a Master Academic Writer With AI using my course: https://academy.academiainsider.com/courses/ai-writing-course

But is it actually useful for academic work? That’s what I wanted to find out. AI benchmarking shows how different models perform in research tasks, and Perplexity has positioned itself as a serious contender against ChatGPT and other AI tools. It claims to deliver deep research vs Perplexity’s standard searches, but how well does it really perform when put to the test?

In this video, I explore how to use Perplexity Deep Research effectively, breaking down what makes it different from regular search engines and AI chatbots. Unlike ChatGPT, Perplexity offers a structured approach to sourcing information, giving users control over where the AI looks—whether it’s academic papers, reputable sources, or broader web content. This level of transparency is a huge advantage for students and researchers who need reliable citations.

One of the standout features of Perplexity AI Deep Research is its ability to generate detailed research plans before delivering results. This means you can see how it approaches a question, making it more useful for structured academic work. But it also raises an interesting question: does this method really provide better insights, or is it just another AI tool repackaging existing information?

By testing out Perplexity’s deep research mode, I put it head-to-head with other AI research methods to see where it excels and where it still falls short.

................................................

▼ ▽ TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
00:05 UI
01:20 Humanity's Last Exam
01:57 Set Sources for Search
02:41 Beginning of Peer Reviewed Paper
04:08 Sources
05:18 Exporting Responses
06:12 In Comparison with ChatGPT
07:40 Peer Reviewed Paper - Continuation
08:56 Conclusion
09:09 Outro

................................................

▼ ▽ Socials for shorts and reels
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drandystapleton/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drandystapleton