Perplexity has launched a new set of always-on artificial intelligence agents called Teammates, expanding its ambitions beyond AI-powered search and into workplace automation. Announced on November 5, 2026, the feature allows users to assign persistent responsibilities to AI agents that can manage ongoing projects, coordinate tasks, monitor activities and collaborate with colleagues. Unlike conventional chatbots that wait for individual prompts, Teammates are designed to operate continuously around goals and responsibilities assigned by users.
The launch puts Perplexity in more direct competition with OpenAI’s Dots and Anthropic’s Claude Duet, both of which are targeting the emerging market for AI-powered digital workers. Teammates can use existing projects, memory, skills, files and connected applications within Perplexity’s ecosystem. They also integrate with Slack, allowing colleagues to communicate with agents and delegate work through existing workplace channels. The feature is initially available on the web to subscribers of Perplexity’s $200-per-month Max plan, with native desktop and mobile applications planned for later.
What Are Perplexity Teammates?
Teammates are persistent AI agents designed to handle responsibilities rather than simply answer questions.
Users can assign each agent a specific role, provide instructions and define the types of tasks it should perform. Once configured, an agent can continue working on its responsibilities without requiring the user to restart the conversation every time.
For example, a business could create separate agents for marketing, customer support, software engineering and research.
Each agent operates with its own persistent conversation thread, allowing users to monitor progress, provide additional instructions and review completed work.
Perplexity says Teammates build on information already available through its existing products, including:
- Projects: Existing workspaces and project information.
- Memory: Previously established context and preferences.
- Skills: Instructions and capabilities configured for particular workflows.
- Files: Documents and other information available to the user.
- Connectors: Connected applications and external services.
- Past sessions: Previous interactions that can provide context for new assignments.
The objective is to reduce the need to repeatedly explain projects, workflows and organisational requirements to an AI assistant.
Teammates Can Handle Multiple Jobs Simultaneously
One of the defining features of the new system is its ability to manage several responsibilities at the same time.
Instead of assigning one task to a chatbot and waiting for a response, users can create multiple Teammates with different roles.
Perplexity has described potential applications across several business functions.
Marketing: An agent could monitor advertising performance, identify campaigns that meet predefined targets and prepare recommendations for increasing spending.
Software engineering: An agent could investigate bugs, monitor alerts, analyse problems and prepare requests for developers to review.
Legal research: A dedicated agent could assist with research, organise documents and support ongoing legal workflows.
Business operations: Agents could monitor recurring activities, analyse information and coordinate tasks across different teams.
The system is designed to support ongoing work rather than isolated requests.
Users can also monitor each Teammate through its individual thread and intervene when necessary.
Importantly, these examples describe intended workflows and capabilities. They do not mean that every action can be completed independently without human approval, review or appropriate application permissions.
Slack Integration Brings AI Agents Into Workplace Conversations
A major part of the Teammates launch is its integration with Slack.
Slack is widely used by businesses for internal communication, project coordination and collaboration.
Through the integration, users can interact with their Teammates directly within Slack channels.
Colleagues can assign work to an agent, receive updates and follow its progress without constantly switching between applications.
For example, a software engineering team could use a dedicated agent to investigate alerts or prepare a bug report. A marketing team could communicate with an advertising agent through an existing Slack channel.
Each Teammate also operates within its own environment, including a desktop and browser, using the same connected plugins and permissions available to the user.
This is important because workplace automation requires access to more than a language model. Agents need to interact with documents, applications, websites and organisational systems to complete practical tasks.
Perplexity is attempting to combine these capabilities into a persistent digital coworker.
Perplexity Teammates Pricing and Availability
The new feature is initially available to Perplexity Max subscribers on the web.
The Max subscription costs $200 per month, placing Teammates in a premium segment of the AI assistant market.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Product | Perplexity Teammates |
| Launch date | November 5, 2026 |
| Initial availability | Web |
| Eligible subscription | Perplexity Max |
| Monthly subscription price | $200 |
| Slack integration | Supported |
| Persistent agent threads | Supported |
| Desktop and mobile apps | Planned |
| Agent collaboration | Supported |
Perplexity is offering Max subscribers an initial promotional period with Teammates usage included. After that period, the feature draws on the credits already included in the subscription.
The pricing makes the product considerably more expensive than standard consumer AI subscriptions.
However, Perplexity is positioning Teammates as a workplace productivity system rather than a conventional chatbot. The intended customer is someone who wants AI agents to manage recurring responsibilities and support ongoing business operations.
How Perplexity Is Competing With OpenAI and Anthropic
The launch comes as major AI companies increasingly move towards autonomous agents.
OpenAI has introduced Dots, its always-on personal agents designed to remember useful context, conduct research and make progress on ongoing work.
Anthropic is developing Claude Duet, a product aimed at professionals and small-business owners that can assist with recurring administrative and business tasks.
Perplexity’s Teammates follows a similar direction but places particular emphasis on multiple persistent agents working across an organisation.
| Company | Product | Main focus |
|---|---|---|
| Perplexity | Teammates | Persistent workplace agents and collaboration |
| OpenAI | Dots | Always-on agents for ongoing personal and professional work |
| Anthropic | Claude Duet | AI assistance for recurring professional tasks |
The products reflect a shift in the AI industry from conversational assistants towards systems that can execute multi-step workflows.
Instead of asking an AI assistant to write a report, users increasingly want systems that can gather information, analyse it, prepare documents, coordinate activities and continue monitoring a project.
The competition will increasingly depend on how reliably these agents can complete work, use connected applications and maintain context over time.
Perplexity Builds on Its Earlier Computer AI Agent
Teammates are not an entirely separate development from Perplexity’s existing technology.
The feature builds on Perplexity Computer, introduced in February 2026.
Computer is designed to coordinate multiple AI models and agents to complete complex tasks using digital tools.
It can work across different applications and online resources rather than relying exclusively on a single model’s ability to generate text.
Teammates extend that approach by introducing persistent responsibilities and collaboration.
While Computer focuses on executing particular tasks, Teammates are designed to take ownership of ongoing work within a user’s broader workflow.
This distinction could make the product more useful for businesses that need continuous monitoring, recurring analysis and coordination across departments.
It also gives Perplexity a way to build on the projects, information and connected services users already have within its ecosystem.
Why Always-On AI Agents Matter for Businesses
The development of workplace agents could change how businesses distribute routine digital tasks.
Many office responsibilities involve repetitive activities such as monitoring dashboards, checking documents, following up on requests, organising information and preparing reports.
These tasks do not always require continuous human attention, but they can consume considerable working time.
AI agents could take responsibility for some of these activities while employees focus on decisions, customer relationships and more complex work.
For smaller businesses, persistent agents could provide access to capabilities that would otherwise require additional employees or specialised software.
Larger organisations could potentially deploy different agents across departments, each working with specific instructions and permissions.
However, reliability remains a major challenge.
An agent that misunderstands instructions, makes an incorrect decision or accesses sensitive information without proper controls can create operational and security risks.
Businesses will therefore need clear approval processes, permission management, audit trails and human oversight before assigning important responsibilities to autonomous systems.
The Bigger Picture
Perplexity’s Teammates launch highlights how the AI industry is evolving beyond the chatbot model.
Companies are increasingly competing to build systems that can remember context, interact with software, coordinate multiple tasks and operate over extended periods.
This creates a new competitive category in which the value of an AI product is measured not only by the quality of its answers but also by the amount of useful work it can complete.
Perplexity’s advantage could come from combining its research capabilities with persistent agents and integrations such as Slack. However, the $200 monthly entry point could limit adoption among individuals and smaller businesses.
The larger opportunity will depend on whether companies can demonstrate measurable productivity improvements that justify the cost.
Looking Ahead
Perplexity plans to expand Teammates beyond its initial web experience, with native desktop and mobile applications expected in the future. Its integration with Slack could become an important part of adoption, allowing businesses to delegate work without changing their existing communication habits. The company will also need to demonstrate that its agents can reliably manage complex responsibilities while respecting organisational permissions and human oversight.
The competition with OpenAI and Anthropic is likely to intensify as AI companies attempt to become the operating layer for everyday professional work. If persistent agents can consistently complete tasks across business applications, they could become an important part of workplace software. For now, Perplexity is betting that users will pay a premium for AI systems that function less like chatbots and more like digital colleagues.
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