By @CNET
Publication Date: 2026-06-03 04:28:00
Perplexity, an AI-powered search and answer engine, has a new way to turn personal devices into decentralized data centers.
The company said Tuesday that it’s adding a new hybrid local-server system to Personal Computer, its AI agent that can work across files, apps and the web. Starting in July, the system will automatically decide which parts of a task should run directly on a user’s device and which should be sent to more powerful AI models in the cloud.
A smaller model running locally could handle sensitive data and routine work locally, such as financial records, health information and personal files. More complicated work that requires the capabilities of a larger AI model could still be sent to a server.
Today we’re announcing that hybrid agentic inference is coming to Perplexity Computer.
Computer can split tasks between a local model running on your machine and frontier models in the cloud. This keeps private data on your device and maximizes token efficiency.
Coming soon. pic.twitter.com/6t3PrmI1FX
— Perplexity (@perplexity_ai) June 2, 2026
Perplexity says its system will make that decision automatically, breaking a larger task into smaller parts and routing each one to the appropriate place. Users won’t need to choose between a local model and a cloud-based model before getting started.
Personal Computer is currently available through Perplexity’s Mac app. It expands the company’s existing Computer agent with features including local file editing, computer…