Perplexity Launches 'Computer' AI Agent, a Safer Alternative to OpenClaw
KOMPAS.com - The trend of personal AI agents appears to be gaining momentum in early 2026. Following the impressive and somewhat controversial launches of Claude Code and OpenClaw, AI search engine company Perplexity has unveiled its own offering.
Perplexity has just launched its AI agent, named Perplexity Computer. Notably, the system is claimed to be significantly safer and easier to operate than its competitors.
Perplexity describes ‘Computer’ as a versatile digital worker capable of operating interfaces in a human-like manner. The system is claimed to be able to design and execute complex workflows, even running automatically for hours or even months.
The main advantage of Perplexity Computer lies in its ability to act as a ‘conductor’ for various AI models. Instead of relying on a single ‘brain’, the system weaves together the strengths of 19 language models from various leading research laboratories.
For example, for coding tasks, the AI agent will use the Opus 4.6 model. However, when asked to conduct in-depth research, it will call upon the capabilities of Gemini. Meanwhile, for processing images and videos, it relies on Nano Banana and Veo 3.1. There is also Grok for light tasks that require speed, and ChatGPT 5.2 for long-context memory.
For information, OpenClaw is an open-source autonomous AI agent framework created by Peter Steinberger that went viral in January 2026. Unlike ordinary chatbots that are reactive, OpenClaw acts very proactively. Users can control it via WhatsApp or Telegram to execute terminal commands, control browsers, and even manage PC systems independently for 24 hours.
Although very sophisticated and popular with programmers, the local access concept of OpenClaw has sparked heated debate about security. Because the agent is given almost unlimited control over the user’s computer system, the risk of fatal incidents is high.
Recently, the technology world was shocked by an incident in which the OpenClaw AI agent ‘messed up’ and accidentally deleted the entire inbox of a Meta director.
Starting from this security vulnerability, the Perplexity Computer agent was designed differently. This agent executes its tasks within a secure, isolated environment. This approach offers a high level of autonomy similar to OpenClaw, but without the risk of endangering the user’s personal devices.
Initial access is still exclusive. This feature can only be tested by Perplexity Max package subscribers, which costs $200 (approximately Rp 3.1 million) per month. The access will be rolled out gradually for Pro ($20) and Enterprise package users in the coming weeks, as quoted by KompasTekno from The Deep View.
Given that AI agents constantly consume large amounts of computing power, Perplexity is also introducing a per-token billing system for its consumers.
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