Perplexity, the artificial intelligence (AI) search engine, has unveiled its Election Information Hub, aimed at providing users with comprehensive guidance and insights for Election Day. The platform, launched on Friday, seeks to assist users in understanding key issues, voting intelligently, and tracking election results, according to a press release by Perplexity.
The Election Information Hub, built on Perplexity’s answer engine, will offer live vote count updates sourced from the AP, covering not only the presidential election but also US Senate and House races. Users can access information on polling locations, voting requirements, and polling times, all sourced from Democracy Works, a nonpartisan, nonprofit voter resource.
Perplexity has emphasized that the answers provided by its AI tool are derived from a curated set of trustworthy and nonpartisan sources, which undergo fact-checking. These sources include news organizations and domains such as Ballotpedia. The company has assured users that it actively monitors its systems to prioritize these reliable sources when responding to election-related queries.
Additionally, the Election Information Hub offers AI summaries of candidates’ policies and endorsements. However, it is important to note that, as with any AI tool, there is a possibility of inaccuracies or misinterpretations. To address this concern, Perplexity has incorporated built-in citations for every answer generated by its engine, allowing users to verify the referenced materials.
Wes Davis from The Verge reported encountering some inaccuracies while exploring candidates in the portal, including a failure to acknowledge Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s withdrawal from the presidential race and the presence of peculiar memes related to Vice President Harris. Perplexity has since rectified the issue, although some facts may still not consistently appear in the AI summaries.
To experience the Election Information Hub firsthand, users can visit perplexity.ai/elections. However, for those seeking a more traditional approach, Perplexity suggests accessing partner sites such as Democracy Works and Ballotpedia, or utilizing resources like canivote.org or Google.
